Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 26: For the first time, the Dasara celebrations associated with Lord Gokarnanatha temple at Kudroli here, which is popularly known as 'Mangaluru Dasara', were held without the customary procession. Even though the procession accompanied by tableaux and people singing Bhajans, dancing etc and various performances arranged by the roadside on the route of the procession remained the highlight of the celebrations every year, this year there was no procession at the culmination because of the situation created by the spread of pandemic.

On Monday October 26, Visarjana Puja was performed at 6.30 pm. Thereafter, the idols of Lord Ganapathi, nine forms of Goddess Durga and that of Goddess Sharada were brought out of the hall one by one from 8.30 pm onward. After the idols were taken around the temple, they were immersed in the temple pond one by one. At the stroke of midnight, the idol of Goddess Sharada, which was the last to be taken out, was taken in a procession till the main gate of the temple before it was taken around the temple.

Later, the mini replicas of Lord Gokarnanatha and Goddess Annapoorneshwari which are known as 'Bali Murthy' were given the ceremonial bath. After offering puja to the idol of Goddess Sharada, her idol was immersed in the temple pond at 2 am on Tuesday. With this, the celebrations came to an end.