Bangalore Karaga

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Bengaluru Karaga is an annual festival celebrated in the Tigalare Pete, primarily by the Vahnikula Kshatriya or Thigala community. Based on story of their heritage, they built temples for Draupadi and Dharmaraya (Yudhishthira). Adishakti Draupadi is the community Deity of the Vahnikula Kshatriyas, one of the foremost communities in Karanataka state. The Dharmaraya Swamy Temple itself is more than 800 years old. It was built by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas, one of the city's oldest communities that was into agriculture and horticulture. The Karaga festival is generally led by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas. Karaga is one of the many traditions of worshiping Adisakti Draupadi Devi. Karaga pooja and festivals have been celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka since ages. Its practice is in use in some parts of Kolar district and Bangalore in the state of Karnataka. It is learnt that there are forty lakh (four million) people belonging to the Vahnikula Kshatriya community living throughout the state: Hoskote, Malur, Kolar, Bengaluru and Anekal taluks have high populations of the Vahnikula Kshatriya community in both urban and rural areas. Basically, this community depends upon agricultural and horticultural activities.

A legend: Towards the last days of their lives, the Pandavas and Draupadi left their kingdom and journeyed to the Himalayas. Draupadi was far behind her husbands when Timirasura who saw Draupadi approached her menacingly to tease and impress her. Draupadi (an incarnation of Shakti) with her powers, is believed to have created an army of soldiers, called Veerakumaras to defend and destroy Timirasura (some retellings also say that she transformed into a man to fight and kill Timirasura). When Draupadi continued her ascent to heaven, the Veerakumaras asked her not to leave. She promised them that she would come back to earth on Chaitra Poornami. The ten-day Karaga marks the homecoming of Draupadi.

The Rituals: The actual ritual is kept as a secret by the elders of the Vahnikula Kshatriya community, who are also the priests who make and carry the Karaga. It is a belief that revealing the secret of divine ritual is bad for the clan and the community. The origins of the rituals cannot be dated back to a particular time but is believed to be in existence from the time the Vahnikula Kshatriyas Tigalas have settled in Bangalore – which is believed to be before the 11th century. The festival has been carried on by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas Tigalas in the Bengaluru, Malur, Kolar regions.

The Dharmaraya Swamy temple in the pete area of Bangalore is the center of nine-day festivities that begins after Ugadi. Each day of the festivities have a significant ritual associated with it, beginning with the Dwajarohana, Aartiseva, Deepotsava on Dwadashi, creation and installation of Hasikaraga on Trayodashi, Pongaluse on Chaturdashi and Karagada Utsav on Purnami.

Key to the rituals is the Karaga Pujari/ Karaga Bearer and the Veerakumars. The Veerakumaras are men from the community who take deekshe in the presence of their clan priests and elders in the name of goddess. The Veerakumaras are the bodyguards of Karaga who have unwavering devotion to the worship of the Goddess.

Hasi Karaga/Pacchi Kargu: On the day of Chaitrasuddha Trayodashi, the Karaga Pujari, clan priests, veerakumaras and clansmen gather at the Sampangi lake courtyard, a little to the east of the Dharmarayaswamy temple, around midnight. The place is cleaned and a red umbrella is placed - the Veerakumaras, who have been in fasting for seven days, arrange their swords in the shape of a crescent. Then, under the direction of the clan priest and the leadership of the clan elders the Karaga is decorated with red cloth, garlands of jasmin, turmeric-kumku for worship, around the third hour of the night, the Hasikaraga is ready. By this time, the Karaga pujari - the bearer of the Karaga is decorated with jasmine flowers. The priest performs Maha mangalarathi. The scent of jasmine along with the smoke of burning camphor makes the entire premises fragrant. Veerakumaras who are standing for the service of the goddess chant Govinda Govinda and beat their chests as they pick their swords. This work done as an offering to Mahashakti is called Alaguseva. Amidst the encircling veerakumaras, the Karaga pujari devoutly picks up the karagava and keeps it on the left side of his waist. Under the protection of Veerakumaras, Karaga pujari solemnly continues to dance under the guidance of the bell priest. The role of the bell priest is important in Karaga Mahotsava. When the Karaga leaves, he continues to guide the Karaga by rhythmically ringing the gante(bell), reciting the glories of the Goddess. This right is inherited like the right of priest. Somewhere in the middle, when the Karaga pujari kneels down, the ritual service is performed. Proceeding in this way, the Hasikaraga circumambulates seven or nine times the big hut, located at the symbol of the Yelu sutthina kote (seven encircled fort) in the north of the municipal office and proceeded towards the temple and circumambulates the chariot prepared outside the temple and dances. On this auspicious day, the sun rises and enters the karaga sanctum sanctorum. Karaga is enshrined and decorated in the Shaktipeetha. The next day is Chaturdashi with the festivities in the temple and discoursed of Mahabharata though the night followed by the, Pongalu seva at sunrise.

Huvina Karaga/Poo Karagu: On the Chaitrasuddha full moon, in the evening, the Karaga priest performs Vapana Samskara, wears bracelets and wears a handful of bangles. Puja and Homam are conducted in the temple in Vaishnavagam style. After which a welfare festival of Arjuna and Draupadi is conducted. At night the Karaga Bear Pujari, Bandi Pujari, Veerakumaras meet at the Sampangi Lake. There the Pujari is adorned with Acchamallie, Jadekuchchu, garlands, wears a turmeric colored saree, wears a blouse and adorns the bosom with coral necklace and jewels. The Karaga Pujari is dressed as a bride. After which incense, lamp and aarti are offered to the divinely empowered Karaga priest. After being worshiped by Veerakumaras, Adishakti will emerge on the face of the priest. Guided by the sound of the bell, everyone joins the temple with mangala vaadya and only the priest enters the sanctum sanctorum. By this time thousands of eyes of the people crowded around the temple are focused towards the temple. After honoring the clansmen and invitees in the enclosure, the gigantic chariot carrying the Utsava murtis of Arjuna and Draupadi moves a short distance towards the east. As the nadasvara, bells are resounding, the priest wearing a Karaga decorated with jasmine flowers on his head emerges from the sanctum sanctorum like a goddess. After the Maha Mangalarati, the temple begins with a Karaga procession receiving the devotion of innumerable devotees under the eulogistic direction of Gante Pujari. As the route of Karaga is pre-designated and announced, countless spectators gather on both sides of those routes and on the roofs of buildings. Vahnikula Kshatriya youths who are skilled in wrestling, lathi and sword fighting display their skills before the festival. On that day, special puja is held in all the temples of the city. There is excitement everywhere. Karaga Shakti is worshiped in the temples along the route of Karaga. Karaga is also worshiped at Mastan Saheba Dargah in Aralepete on the way of this deity. The rule is to reach the Karaga to the temple before the sun rays fall on it. Accordingly, by six o'clock in the morning, it reaches the Karaga temple. After that, worship is done to Karaga regardless of caste and religion. Another inexhaustible attraction is the Pallakki of many gods of the city, the colorful festival of pavilions, which leaves with the night chariot. It seems as if all the Gods have joined to fulfill the wishes of the devotees in that glorious procession, which attracts eyes no matter how far they look. The emanation of power in the melt, the walking without the support of the hands holding it on the head—all these things are walking like glory. Those concerned can speak of greatness but nothing of mystery. The reason for that glory is their unwavering faith in the worship of that divine power. The worship of the Pandavas, which is the background to the worship of Karaga, is most popular in South India. Karaga has been celebrated for hundreds of years in many villages in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka. However, the Karaga Utsava as a traditional religious spectacle is found only in Bangalore. Among the Vahnikula kshatriya community, great devotion to Karaga shakti has been ingrained for generations.^[1][2]

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  Work by horticulturist Thigalas.
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  One of the deepa, which resemble birds.
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  Devotees leaving the temple premises after finishing aarthi depotsava.
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  The Dharmaraya Swamy Temple is unique, as it's dedicated to the Pandavas and Krishna.
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  Thousands of Karaga devotees witnessing Hase Karaga.

Bengaluru Karaga was initially cancelled from a decision taken by the Deputy Commissioner, fearing the transmission of COVID-19 from a large-scale gathering of people and local community during the lock down period. "In view of the Centre’s directions and Disaster Management Act, 2005, the festivities should not be held," the order reads. The state government granted permission for the popular festival by relaxing the lock down norms for the Karaga event scheduled to be held on 8 April 2020. However, the Chief Minister of Karnataka Mr. B S Yeddyurappa gave permission to go ahead for the Karaga with a rider that not more than five persons be allowed to congregate during this annual festival.^[3][4]

• Sri Dharmarayaswamy Temple Bengaluru

Media related to Bangalore Karaga at Wikimedia Commons

• official website of Sri Sri Sri Dharmarayaswamy Temple Bengaluru
• Lock down forces cancellation of Karaga festival due to COVID-19
• Bangalore
• Bangalore Karaga 2013 from The Hindu

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bangalore Karaga.

• Karnataka government allows Karaga festival with a strict rider; timesofindia.indiatimes.com