Bengaluru Karaga Festival begins today!

Team Udayavani, Apr 15, 2024, 9:13 AM IST

Bengaluru: The renowned Bengaluru Karaga Utsava begins today (April 15) with the hoisting of flag at 3 am. Thousands of worshipers have congregated at the Dharmarayaswamy Temple, marking the commencement of the revered festival.

A plethora of events are lined up, including a special pooja on the 9-day of Karaga festival. Notably, over 3 thousand Veerakumaras are set to participate this year, with the Dharmarayaswamy temple providing them with complimentary red clothes and turbans. Additionally, initiation swords will be distributed free of cost to those partaking in the initiation ceremony.

In preparation for the festival, a team of 200 individuals will arrive from various regions, including Tamil Nadu, to assist in floral arrangements. Salem buds will be utilized alongside Mysore jasmine for decoration. A cultural troupe from Kerala is also expected to participate this year, temple management said.

Priest A Gyanendra, a member of the temple’s management committee, will carry the Karaga this year. The festival will witness the entourage of Draupadi and Dharmaraya Swamy being transported on a grand wooden raft, adorned for the occasion.