Mangaluru, Oct 12: The Navaratri festival and the grand Mangaluru Dasara celebrations at the Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatha Kshetra were inaugurated on Sunday.
Under the leadership of B. Janardhana Poojary—the former Union Minister and the architect behind the temple’s development—idols of Sri Mahaganapathi, Sri Sharada Mata, and the various forms of the Goddess (Adishakti, Skandamata, Katyayani, Mahakali, Mahagauri, Siddhidhatri, Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, and Kushmanda) were installed in the temple’s *Durbar Mantapa*.
MLA Vedavyas Kamath, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V., and City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy participated as chief guests.
Also present were Kudroli Kshetra President Jairaj H. Somasundaram, Vice President Urmila Ramesh, Secretary B. Madhava Suvarna; trustees H.S. Sairam, Santhosh Kumar J., Jagadeep D. Suvarna, Krithin Amin, and Kishore Dandekeri; prominent figure Malathi Janardhana Poojary; and Kshetra Development Committee President Devendra Poojary and Co-President Dr. … Anasuya B.T. Salian, Vice President Dr. B.G. Suvarna, and members Veda Kumar, K. Chittaranjan Garodi, Harish Kumar Belthangady, Vishwanath Kasaragod, S. Jaya Vikram, Jithin Attavar, Harikrishna Bantwal, N. Harishchandra, Ramanath Karandur, Dhumappa Mestri, Leelaksha Karkera, Shailendra Y. Suvarna, Suryakant J. Suvarna, Radhakrishna, Chandan Das, D.D. Kattemar, P.K. Gauravi Rajashekhar, B. Vasudeva Kotyan, Latish M. Suvarna, and others participated.
Speaking to reporters, the Kshetra’s Treasurer, Padmaraj R. Poojary, stated that this year’s Mangaluru Dasara has commenced under the leadership of B. Janardhana Poojary and in collaboration with the administration and development committee. A ‘Mahila Dasara’ (Women’s Dasara) is being organized for the first time.
In addition to various competitions for women, an ‘Aksharabhyasa’ (initiation into learning) program will be held on October 20. He noted that the number of devotees visiting the Kshetra is likely to increase and that over a thousand volunteers have been deployed.