Bangalore: Dasara to empower backwards

The city is known for its entrepreneurship in education, healthcare, transportation and banking, but what is not widely known is that Mangalore also conducts what is considered to be the second best Dasara after Mysore.

Unlike in the case of Mysore, Mangalore receives neither government patronage nor has the royal halo, but is a product of empowerment of the poor and the downtrodden and has been equated with the social reformation movement taken up by Balgangadhar Tilak in Maharashtra in bringing celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi into public domain.

Inhabited mainly by backward communities a quarter century ago, Mangalore today conducts a grand ‘common man’s Dasara’. The city, which is full of Devi Temples like Mangaladevi, Boloor Mariyamma, Halekote Mariyamma and the Kateel Durgaparameshwari temple 20 km away, takes its Dasara seriously.

The Kudroli Gokarnanatha temple takes the lead in organising Dasara procession, installation of Navadurga idols and providing colour and gaiety to the festivities. The temple came into being a century ago as backward communities’ own place of worship. The leader of the backward Billava community at that time, Sahukar Koragappa, was pained by the denial of right of entry to temples to the Billavas by upper caste Hindus. A rich man, he decided to give his community its own place of worship.

In 1912, Sahukar Koragappa persuaded philosopher, social reformer Narayana Guru from Kerala to Mangalore to consecrate a Shiva Lingam, which he brought along from Kerala.

The shrine was named ‘Gokarnanatha’ by Narayana Guru. From those humble beginnings, the Gokarnanatha Temple has now become a world centre for Billavas and an influential Shiva temple reputed all over India.

Former Rajya Sabha member B Janardhana Poojary was instrumental in the temple acquiring its current stature starting from 1989. In 1991, the temple started the tradition of consecrating the Navadurgas for Dasara festival. A unique feature of the Kudroli temple is that the Navadurgas, in their different avatars as mentioned in the Puranas, are installed here. Mahagowri, Mahakali, Kathyayini, Shailaputhri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kooshmandini, Skandamatha and Siddhi Dhatri are the Navadurga avatars.

On the last three days of the Navarathri, Sharada Mahotsava adds colour to the Navadurga poojas. The idol of Sharada installed here is stated to be among the largest in the country.

On Vijaya Dashami, the grand procession includes a five-kilometer-long line up of over 100 tableaux from all over the state and some from outside. More than 30 troupes of folk dancers from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh also take part in the procession. The Navadurga idols, mounted on truck platform with dazzling display of lights, take part in the procession. The all-night affair keeps the Mangalore city awake till dawn.

It is estimated that last year, a million people witnessed the Dasara procession, and a million visited the temple during the Navarathri festivities, placing the Mangalore fest on par with that Mysore in terms popularity.