Every local festival offers a window into the distinct culture, traditions, and various aspects of a specific region. India, with its diverse corners, celebrates various types of festivals, throughout the year. Each adds a unique flavor to the diverse culture of India. Today, we are going to talk about some famous festivals in Karnataka.

The State Karnataka, lies in the Southern region of India, is a hub of grand celebrations. Each tells unique stories about its heritage. Some festivals, like Hampi Utsava, even have historical roots also. This blog introduces you to the distinct rituals and significances of such festivals in Karnataka.

Mysore Dasara:

Dasara or Dussehra is a festival that spreads its festive spirit across India, but ‘Mysore Dasara’ brings an extra touch of grandeur to the celebration. The celebration joyfully marks the victory of the good over evil. In Karnataka, this festival is observed to honor the victory of Maa Chamundeshwari (one of the forms of Goddess Parvati), over the demon Mahishasura. This 10-day festival usually occurs in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvina (September or October month in Gregorian calendar).

The beautifully decorated ‘Mysore Palace’ becomes the major attraction of the event. In every evening of the festive days, the palace is adorned with nearly 1-Lacs light bulbs. Along with this, various grand processions also take place during those days. On the auspicious day of Mahanavami (ninth day of Dasara), worshippers honor the royal sword and participate in a grand procession with elephants, camels, and horses. Besides, the Jumbo Savari and a torchlight parade of Vijayadashami (the last day of Dasara) also add a special touch to the celebration. Even the best part of the festival also happens at this Vijayadashami procession. Maa Chamundeshwari, resting on a stunning golden mantapa, is taken in the procession on a decorative elephant.

Ugadi:

‘Uga’ means course of stars, and ‘Adi’ means the starting. People from South Indian state, celebrate Ugadi to welcome the Hindu New Year, symbolizing new beginnings with traditional rituals and joyful festivities and marks as one of the famous festivals in Karnataka. According to the Gregorian calendar, the festival usually falls in the late March or early April.

People start this festive day with ritual showers and prayers. They adorn themselves with new cloths, and prepare special festive foods. Among those, ‘Pachadi’ is the most famous one. It is a chutney-like dish that blends six flavors of food. Further, making Bevu-bella on the day of Ugadi is a special tradition in Karnataka. Bevu-bella, a mix of neem and jiggery, symbolizes the blend of bitterness and sweetness of life. These preparations serve as a symbolic reminder of life’s diverse experiences that we can expect in the upcoming year. Apart from all these, Muggulu (colorful floor patterns) and Torana (door decoration with mango leaves) are other attractions of Ugadi day.

Hampi Utsava:

Among the popular festivals in Karnataka, the Hampi Utsava (or Vijaya Utsava) is another significant one. The festival actually honors and celebrates the culture and heritage of the Vijayanagar Empire. People believe that the utsava has been celebrated since the days of the Vijayanagar Empire, making it one of the oldest festivals in India. However, there is no fixed date or tithi for this celebrations, it usually take place in the month of January, and last for 3days.

During the festive days, the pathway (Raja Marg) that leads to the Virupaksha Temple of Hampi is adorned with beautiful art and crafts. Additonally, a grand Light and Sound show happens beside the Tungabhadra River, where the area is beautifully decorated. This show marks as the best part of the entire festival. Decked with ornaments, horses and elephants parade along the riverside, while pipes and trumpets play tunes, narrating Hampi’s struggle history under various rulers. Along with these, puppet show, drama, and traditional dance performances also take place during this event.

Karaga:

Karaga, a festival with Mahabharata origin, is one of the popular folk events in Karnataka. The ritual is performed to honor Mahabharata’s famous female character Draupadi. The festival occurs every year and spans for 9days. And it ends with the great Karaga procession, on a full moon day, in the month of April.

This Karaga procession is the main attraction of the entire festival. Dressing like a woman, a priest of Dharmaraya temple carries a pot, called Karaga Pot, balanced on his head. This karaga pot is a mud pot with a tall floral pyramid on top. And surprisingly, the contents of the pot have been a secret for centuries. Apart from the Karaga Carrier (the priest), the procession also includes bare-chested Veerkumaras with uncovered swords. Notably, during the karaga procession, various acrobatic feat movements are also performed, accompanied by several musical instruments.

Mahamastakabhisheka:

The most sacred Jain festival that held in every 12 years in Karnataka. The main focus of this festival is the anointing ceremony of the 57-ft-tall Bahubali Gommanteshwara statue, located at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka. Siddha Bahubali was the son of the first Jain Tirthankara, Bhagwan Rishabhanatha. A weeks-long ritual bath of the 57-ft Bahubali is the main attraction of the Mahamastakabhisheka festival.

As the festival begins, devotees carry 1,008 specially crafted kalashes (vessels) and sprinkle sacred water on fellow participants. After that, the statue of Bhagwan Bahubali is bathed and adorned with offerings like milk, sugarcane juice, and saffron paste. Then, it is sprinkled with powders of sandalwood, turmeric, and vermilion. Additionally, devotees offer petals, gold, silver coins, and various precious stones to honor this special ceremony.

This Abhisheka was last held in February 2018, and the next one is scheduled for 2030. Notably, the recent finales of the event feature an impressive flower shower from a waiting helicopter, adding a special glow to the festival.

Gowri Habba and Ganesh Chaturthi:

Gowri Habba and Ganesh Chaturthi festivals are most famous in various Indian states including Karnataka. These festivals usually fall in two consecutive days, in the month of August or September. Gowri Habba is celebrated to honor Goddess Gowri (or Parvati), mother of Lord Ganesha.

The day signifies Goddess Gowri’s visit to her parental home. And the next day i.e., the day of Ganesh Chaturthi, Lord Ganesha arrives to take her mother back to Kailash. In the Gowri Habba festival, usually married women perform the pooja, while the priest chants mantras. On this day, the Goddess is worshipped in the form of either a clay idol of maa Gowri or a turmeric pyramid. 

‘Morada Baagina’ holds special significance in the ritual. ‘Baagina’ refers a collection of some specific items that are offered to the Goddess. And ‘Mora’ is the bamboo tray, on which the offering items are kept. Notably, the Baagina is exchanged between the nearer married women. Another special tradition is that all worship items (manhaladravya) are sent from the parental home to the married women.

On the other hand, the Ganesh Chaturthi includes four main rituals. These are – Prana Pratishtha, Shodashopachara (ways to pay tribute to the Lord Ganesha), Uttar Pooja, and Ganapati Visarjan. In Karnataka, Panchakajjaya is a traditional food offering made to Lord Ganesha.