Every year Dassehra in Mangaluru is a grand celebration, and it was no different this year. Here's a look.
Rediff.com's Laxmi Negi brings you glimpses from this year's event.
Photographs: Varun S
Whenever the talk of Dassehra celebration arises, the first thing that comes to our mind is the Mysuru Dassehra, which is celebrated with so much of fanfare.
However, Dassehra celebrations are not confined to Mysuru but observed grandiosely across Karnataka, and Mangaluru comes with its own way of celebrating the festival.
Mangaluru's Dassehra sees a grand procession for which most of the roads in the city are decorated with lights to give it a carnival atmosphere for the entire ten day festive period.
The iconic Mangaluru Dassehra events are organised by the century old Gokarnanatheshwara temple, also known as Kudroli temple which is the centre of attraction during the Navratri festival.
Started as Sharada Mahotsava, today it is celebrated in the name of Mangaluru Dassehra.
The various idols of Sharada Devi along with Maha Ganapthi and Navadurgas are installed during the Navratri in the temple and in the evening of Vijayadashmi a grand procession is organised which ends early morning the next day, with the immersion of idols in the pond inside the temple complex.
One of the organisers said, "Fourteen goddesses along with more than 60 floats participated in the procession and the entire 7 km route was illuminated with the lighting. The system was changed this time, with . This the goddess in the front and then other floats followed.