Kudroli Bale, Dasara Thule! Kudroli Temple All Decked Up & Illuminated for ‘Mluru Dasara’
- Kudroli Bale, Dasara Thule! Kudroli Sri Kshetra Gokarnanatha Temple All Decked Up & Illuminated for ‘Mangaluru Dasara’- Inauguration TODAY, 17 October 2020 and Closing Ceremony on 27 October 2020
Mangaluru: This morning one of mine friend, passed a silly comment saying that, “Alfie, you can’t utter one single sentence of Tulu properly, how come these days, you come up with captions like- “Bunder Bale, Malla Malla Gundi Thule”; “Pumpwell Flyover Bale, Malla Malla Potholes Thule”; “Kudla Dasara Bale, Pili Vesha Thule” etc etc- so I replied, while the Tulu Academy is trying to promote Tulu, I am doing a bit on my part in regards to that- and I have my neighbour Somashekar, who helps me out in these captions, in exchange every time for a quarter of Director’s Special”?
It’s once again that time of the year, the famed “Mangaluru Dasara” will be held at Sri Kshetra Gokarnanatha, Kudroli, and this year it will kick start from 17 October until 27 October. Preparations are underway to organise this 10-day festivity, and during the years, the Mangaluru Dasara has earned its own name and fame and is growing bigger with each passing year- and lakhs of people throng the Kshetra for the blessings, and line up the streets to watch the dasara procession/floats. But this year due to the pandemic it will be a low-key affair, due to social distancing and other Covid-19 guidelines.
Mangaluru Dasara is being organized every year under the principle of socio-religious equality advocated by social reformer saint Brahmashree Narayana Guru and with participation of all sections of society- and the same tradition will be continued even this year. Already various sub-committees had meetings and have chalked out the minutest details in this regard, and everything is set for today, and ready to go. The Kshetra has already got the extreme makeover, few streets in Kudla are illuminated with chain lightings, and this year except for a few huge hoardings wishing the Dasara success erected at various places, you won’t see hundreds of hoardings that used to line up the streets like earlier years.
Sri Kshetra Gokarnanatha is renowned for worshipping Goddess Sharada along with the Navadurgas on all 10-days of the festivity and marked by a colourful procession taken out on the 10th day- but this year the procession won’t take place due to pandemic. It is also referred as Navarathri Festival, Vijayadashami and also called Marnemi In Tulu. Tiger dance and Bear Dance are the main attractions in Mangaluru Dasara- and the city will be decorated with dazzling and sparkling lights everywhere in Mangaluru, it is like a carnival for 10 days . But all this is limited this year due to pandemic. Only token performances of Pili Nalike aka Tiger dance will be held on the final day of the celebrations.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy commissioner Dr K V Rajendra during a meeting with the concerned persons of Mangaluru Dasara had issued a press release giving permission to celebrate the Mangaluru Dasara festival, provided the organizers strictly adhere to Covid-19 guidelines. The decision was taken in the fifth meeting of the third district religious council. As per DC’s statement, the organizers can install the traditional Sharada idols inside the Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple, but strictly open-air cultural programmes are strictly prohibited. Limited Tiger dance and other acts in costumes will be permitted inside the Temple, following social distancing. Temple authorities should see that the seating arrangement (chairs) maintain the social distance. Telecasting of the programme on TV channels will be permitted. Mega size shamiyana or pandals will not be permitted. Taking outdoor processions or organizing fairs of any kind are strictly not permitted. Fireworks and bursting of Crackers are prohibited.
Padmaraj, the Kudroli Temple Committee treasurer speaking to Team Mangalorean said, ” This year,the celebration of the famed Mangaluru Dasara, of which Sri Gokarnanatha Kshethra is the epicentre, which attracts thousands of people from various parts of the country, will be low-key affair from the previous years, due to Coronavirus pandemic. Taking cue from State Government’s decision to go in for a no-frills Dasara in Mysuru, the Temple management Committee of Kudroli Temple, under the instruction from its chief patron and former Union minister senior congress leader Janardhana Poojary decided to hold the Mangaluru Dasara from 17 October 2020 by adhering to government rules/directions on the pandemic”.
Covid Warrior and former Vice President of NRI Forum, Dr Arathi Krishna will inaugurate the Mangaluru Dasara, which is TODAY, 17 October 17 at the Temple. People have given Dr Arathi, the title ‘Malnaada Indira’ (Indira of Malnad) for her contribution to the Indians living in India and abroad. Sources reveal that as per the intention of Senior Congress Leader Janardhana Poojary, the man behind the development of the Kudroli temple, Mangaluru Dasara festival of this year will be celebrated under the slogan ‘Namma Dasara – Namma Surakshe’. Due to this background Dr Arathi Krishna, who has relentlessly worked for Covid-19 pandemic control, is invited for the inauguration of Mangaluru Dasara.
The programme on Saturday August 17 started with Guruprarthane at 9.30 am, followed by Kalasha Prathiste at 11.30 am, and the inauguration of Dasara festival at 12 noon, Navadurga and Sharada Prathiste and Pushpalankara Mahapooja at 12.30 pm. In the evening the Bhajan programme will start at 7 pm. From 9 pm there will be Devi Pushpalankara pooja.
About Kudroli Gokarnanatha Kshethra :
Kudroli temple is the center of attraction during the Navarathri festival. The Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple was built in the year 1912 by Sri Narayana Guru. Gokarnanatha is the other name for Lord Shiva. The temple has Gopuram (tower like huge structure) decorated with murals of various gods and goddesses. Murals depict the scenes from Hindu epics and legends.
The Kudroli temple trust keeps the `Gangavatharana’ (Ganges water flowing from the crown of Lord Shiva) in operation for all 9 days during the Navarathri. The depiction has 4 colorful idols of Shiva 13 feet high with a jet of water rushing towards the sky to a height of 100 feet. As the water from four sides reach their pinnacle they take the shape of a Shivalingam. Color lights around the place add to the glory of the site. Navarathri and Shivarathri are the two big festivals celebrated at this temple. The celebrations at the temple during Dasara is also popularly called as Mangalore Dasara.
