The curtain fell on the nine-day festivities — Navaratri and Mangaluru Dasara — with chariot festivals at many temples dedicated to Goddess Shakti and tableau procession of Sri Narayana Guru at Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple where the famed Mangaluru Dasara is celebrated.
The festivities that usually attract lakhs of devotees during a normal year were scaled down to the minimum this time due to the COVID-19 situation.
Though the festivities were limited on the premises of temples, devotees nevertheless thronged them taking due precautions to pay their obeisances to Goddess Shakti.
“About two lakh devotees visited the Kudroli Temple and had darshan of Nava Durges besides the presiding deity Gokarnanatha,” said managing committee treasurer R. Padmaraj.
The numbers would have been more if there were no restrictions.
Karnataka , Mangaluru : 26/10/2020 : With prohibition on performing Pili Nalike (tiger dance) by large number of dancers in public places during Navarathri, Pili Nalike teams fulfill their owes with dances of individuals near local deities. One team is seen performing Pili Nalike in front of a Koragajja shrine in Bolara on Monday. PHOTO: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY \ THE HINDU
The lone tableau of Sri Narayana Guru was taken out in a mini procession along the main roads in the central parts of the city in the evening instead of the normal procession of Nava Durges, variety of other tableaux and Pili Nalike (tiger dance) teams.
Mr. Padmaraj said that the Nava Durges would be immersed in the temple pond one by one late on Monday night. The process would continue till early Tuesday morning.
At the historic Mangaladevi Temple, the Ratharohana (ascending the chariot) of the Utsava Murthy was conducted at noon.
The Maha Rathotsava, which is normally conducted after 8 p.m., was conducted before sunset as per the advice of the administration. A large number of people gathered to witness the chariot festival.
Amid the restrictions on Pili Nalike performance limiting the numbers to 10 dancers per temple and prohibition on public performance, dancers fulfilled their owes inside the temples. On the other hand, individual dancers from teams also performed in front of local deities such as Koragajja and other Daivas of the locality concerned. However, there was no Pili Nalike atop moving vehicles as witnessed earlier.
Similarly, Navaratri festivities came to an end in other temples across Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, including Kateel Durgaparameshwari, Polali Rajarajeshwari, Dharmasthala Manjunatha, Kadiyali Mahishamardini, Ambalapadi Mahakali, Mandarthi Durgaparameshwari and Kollur Mookambika.
