India is a land of Festivals. With
colors and glare and roars all around, festivals are
celebrated very loud here. Major proportions of the
population being Hindu, most of the Hindu festivals
are celebrated here. The best time to visit the city
is during Dussera. It is a 10day festival celebrated
during end of September and beginning of October. Though
this festival is celebrated throughout the country but
the pomp with which it is celebrated here is just amazing.
Another important festival celebrated here is Karaga
Festival that is celebrated in the month of
April. It is time to worship Draupadi, daughter of goddess
of Fire. People balance pots over their head to test
their character.
The festival of the Karaga is awaited by hundreds of
bare chested, dhoti-clad and turbaned veerakumaras (brave
youth) brandishing named swords. Only a member of the
Tigala community can be a veerakumara. Fire-walking,
these young men dance around while striking their blades
against their bare chests. If blood should ooze out,
it is considered an indication of the veerakumara’s
failure to adhere to the ritualistic formalities required
for the occasion. Amidst fire walking and frenzied dancing,
the Karaga carrier emerges from the temple, surrounded
by the these men the Karaga balanced on his head. For
the Karaga carrier, the swords have a menacing significance
because by tradition they are supposed to stab the Karanga
carrier if he loses balance and falls. Fortunately,
this has never happened in the long history of this
festival.
The Kadalekeya Parishe festival is marked as harvest
festival in Bangalore. It is celebrated at Bull Temple
with a groundnut competition in the month of Nov-Dec.
Farmers offer their first harvest to Nandi, the Bull.
Makara Sankranthi or Pongal
It is known in the South, is celebrated to mark the
beginning of the harvest season. People believe that
the first rays of the sun on Sankranthi will bring them
a good harvest. It is also celebrated to mark the change
of seasons from winter to spring.
Ganesh Chaturthi
It is celebrated in September all over the world, the
day before Swarna Gowri.
Dussehra
The pride of Karnataka's festivals is Dussehra. It is
a celebration that lasts for ten days. The rulers of
Vijayanagara Empire used to celebrate Dussehra with
remarkable brilliance. The rulers of Mysore continued
the tradition. The Maharaja of Mysore used to hold a
Durbar for 9 days and on the 10th day went in a procession
on a caparisoned elephant. With the ending of the royal
rule, a picture of Bhuvaneshwari, the patron goddess
of Karnataka, is taken out in procession. It is a unique
and significant festival of the Hindus.
Yugadi
The Kannadiga New Year day of Yugadi falls on the second
half of March or early April is celebrated with devotion
and delight. This day is considered very auspicious
to start new ventures. The festival begins with ritual
bath and prayers and continues till late night. It is
generally held that Brahma created the world on this
day. Also Lord Vishnu is said to incarnate himself,
as Matsya.Brahma is the chief deity worshipped this
day. Ugadi also signifies the advent of spring with
colorful blossoms, green fields all heralding a new
beginning. The vibrancy of life signifying growth, prosperity
and well-being filling the hearts of people with joy
and contentment. On Ugadi the predictions are made for
the New Year among the chanting of mantras. The preparations
are made a week ahead with houses given a thorough wash
and shopping for new clothes. People also decorate the
entrance of their houses with fresh mango leaves and
draw colorful floral designs in front of the houses.
The women prepare special dishes to mark the occasion.
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