Bengaluru: The annual Karaga festivities began on Saturday, with special prayers and rituals being conducted at Karagada Kunte in Cubbon Park.
Karaga Shaktyotsava, the annual procession of the floral pyramid ‘karaga’, will be held after midnight on March 31. The procession of Hasi Karaga will be held at Sampangi tank on the night of March 29, two days before the Shaktyotsava. The festivities will conclude on April 2.
For the last two years, the fight between brothers Jnanendra and Lakshmeesha as to who should carry out the Karaga festivities marred the festival. To prevent history from repeating itself, the Muzrai Department chose a new ‘karaga poojari’ N. Manu.
P.R. Ramesh, Congress MLC and a leader of the community, said Manu hails from a prominent family of the community. He will be the first one from his family to carry the ‘karaga’. He said the decision was taken to prevent any bad blood during the festivities, unlike the last few years.
Meanwhile, the organizers of Karaga laid down a condition for the grand finale procession on March 31. “If the bylanes of the core areas near Cubbonpet and Balepet are not repaired, the Karaga won’t go there and devotees will have to walk up to the main road to perform rituals to their deity.
