Religious fervour marks 'Kodial Theru'

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Ahmed Anwar)

January 30, 2012

Mangalore, January 30: Amid religious fervour the chariot of Shri Venkataramana Swamy was pulled by the devotees on the Car Street in the City marking the grand 'Brahma Rathotsava', also known as 'Kodial Theru'.

This marks the culmination of more than three weeks of festivities at the temple that began with reconsceration rituals at the temple earlier in the month.

In keeping with historical tradition, the temple management took out procession in the form of Ratha Yatra on the fifth day of six-day Car Festival at the temple.

Preparations were afoot for the last fews days for the Rathotsava whose culmination was on Monday, when the chariot hit the road after a year.

The magnificent golden chariot was decorated with festoons and garlands on which the idol of Venkataramana was placed in a golden palanquin and was taken around the sanctum sanctorum of the temple accompanied with music, chanting of hymns and bhajans.

There was a rush among the sea of devotees to pull the chariot as it is considered to be an invitation to good luck. They also offered fruits and Akshathe to the idol to seek its blessings.

An elaborate arrangement made by the Mangalore City Police paid off as the event passed of smoothly and unhindered.

The police blocked the roads leading to the Temple in view of the huge turnout of devotees to participate in the event and diverted the traffic.

Car Festival of the Venkatramana Temple is one of the famous festivals of Mangalore that attracts a large number of tourists to Mangalore.

Car Festival in this Temple is a six day festival that is celebrated by the people of Mangalore with immense pomp and show. On each of the six days of the festival, some of the temples in Mangalore organize feasts and distribute 'chaneghashi', 'dalitoi' and 'goddi'. Chaneghashi, dalitoi and goddi are rice, lentils and a certain kind of bread that are prepared specially for the occasion by the young men clad in yellow, orange and red attire. In fact, as many as 1500 volunteers participate in the Mangalore Car Festival of the Venkatramana Temple.

The celebration includes yajnas, samraradhana, vasantha pooja, so on and so forth. But the main celebration consists of carrying the titular deity on a gigantic 'Theru' or 'Kodial Theru'.

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Mangaluru’s KPT becomes India’s first autonomous govt polytechnic

News Network

January 23,2026

Mangaluru: The Karnataka Government Polytechnic (KPT), Mangaluru, has achieved autonomous status from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), becoming the first government polytechnic in the country to receive such recognition in its 78-year history. The status was granted by AICTE, New Delhi, and subsequently approved by the Karnataka Board of Technical Education in October last year.

Officials said the autonomy was conferred a few months ago. Until recently, AICTE extended autonomous status only to engineering colleges, excluding diploma institutions. However, with a renewed national focus on skill development, several government polytechnics across India have now been granted autonomy.

KPT, the second-largest polytechnic in Karnataka, was established in 1946 with four branches and has since expanded to offer eight diploma programmes, including computer science and polymer technology. The institution is spread across a 19-acre campus.

Ravindra M Keni, the first dean of the institution, told The Times of India that AICTE had proposed autonomous status for polytechnic institutions that are over 25 years old. “Many colleges applied. In the first round, 100 institutions were shortlisted, which was further narrowed down to 15 in the second round. We have already completed one semester after becoming an autonomous institution,” he said. He added that nearly 500 students are admitted annually across eight three-year diploma courses.

Explaining the factors that helped KPT secure autonomy, Keni said the institution has consistently recorded 100 per cent admissions and placements for its graduates. He also noted its strong performance in sports, with the college emerging champions for 12 consecutive years, along with active student participation in NCC and NSS activities.

Autonomous status allows KPT to design industry-oriented curricula, conduct examinations, prepare question papers, and manage academic documentation independently. The institution can also directly collaborate with industries and receive priority funding from AICTE or the Ministry of Education. While academic autonomy has been granted, financial control will continue to rest with the state government.

“There will be separate committees for examinations, question paper setting, boards of studies, and boards of examiners. The institution will now have the freedom to conduct admissions without government notifications and issue its own marks cards,” Keni said, adding that new academic initiatives would be planned after a year of functioning under the autonomous framework.

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