Bengaluru Karaga procession to start past midnight

BENGALURU: The famous Bengaluru Karaga festival, a centuries-old tradition, is being celebrated with great fervour today. The Karaga procession, carried by Dharmaraya Swamy temple priest A Gnanendra, will start from the temple around 12:30 am on April 2.

The Karaga is a symbol of the goddess Draupadi and the procession will pass through various streets, including Cubbonpet, Halasur and Doddapet, with devotees offering prayers and worship along the way.

The procession route includes Dharmaraya Swamy temple, Ganapati temple, Mutyalamma temple, Halasurpet, Nagarthpet, Cubbonpet, Mastan Sahab Dargah, Gandhi Nagar, Kilari Road, Yelahanka Gate, Avenue Road, Kumbara Pet, Tigalarapet, Haalu Beedi and Sunkalpet. The Karaga will return to the temple around 6 am on Thursday. The public is requested to keep the streets clean and avoid throwing objects at the procession.

The festival concludes with a grand Mangalarati ceremony, where devotees offer prayers and worship to the goddess. The festival is also marked by elaborate decorations, including electric lights and flowers, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Interestingly, devotees are also praying for LPG gas cylinders, with some even offering gas cylinders as part of their prayers, highlighting the ongoing gas shortage issue. Some devotees have written messages on the gas cylinders, such as “Give us gas, mother!” and “LPG gas problem”.