Mangaluru: The grand Mangaluru Dasara and Navaratri festival at Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatha Temple will commence on 22 September with the consecration of Navadurga, Maha Ganapathi, and Goddess Sharada idols at 8:30 am.

Religious and cultural inaugurations

Swami Jitakamanandaji, president of Ramakrishna Mission, Mangaluru, and Brahmakumari Vishweshwari Ji, head of Brahmakumaris, Mangaluru, will inaugurate the religious programmes in the presence of temple patron B Janardhana Poojary.

Cultural programmes will be inaugurated by New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) chairman Venkata Ramana Akkaraju and Union Bank of India zonal head Rajendra Kumar.

On this occasion, the temple will honour Saanidhya Special School, White Doves, and M Friends Charitable Trust. Bharatanatyam artistes Remona Evette Pereira and Deeksha V will also be felicitated for their achievement in the Golden Book of World Records.

Official inauguration on Sept 25

The official inauguration of Mangaluru Dasara will be held on 25 September at 6 pm, in the presence of assembly speaker UT Khader, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, district minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta, and others. Janardhana Poojary will preside over the function.

Committee treasurer Padmaraj R Poojary said that 1,500 volunteers have been mobilised to ensure smooth conduct of the celebrations. To manage the large crowds, special parking arrangements have been made at Alake market, Canara Bank premises in Mannagudde, and Urwa ground. Shuttle services will ferry devotees from Urwa ground to the temple.

Grand Dasara procession on Oct 2

Temple committee member Harikrishna Bantwal announced that the Mangaluru Dasara procession featuring Navadurga, Sharada, and Ganapathi will begin at 4 pm on 2 October from the temple.

The procession will pass through Mannagudde, Brahmasri Narayana Guru Circle, Lalbagh, Ballalbagh, PVS Circle, Navabharath Circle, KS Rao Road, Hampankatta, Ganapathi High School Road, Venkatramana Temple, Car Street, and Alake, before returning to the temple.

Harikrishna clarified that DJ music will not be allowed during the procession in line with government orders. If trucks carry banned DJ systems, police will seize them and the temple committee will not be held responsible. Organisations preparing tableaus and cultural programmes must submit their themes for police review to ensure no content hurts community sentiments.

Conclusion

With elaborate arrangements and strong participation from volunteers and cultural groups, this year’s Mangaluru Dasara at Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatha Temple promises to be a vibrant celebration, blending devotion, tradition, and community participation.