Bengaluru Karaga temple festival

Tags: State News

The centuries-old Karaga (temple fair) festival was recently held at the Dharmaraya Swamy Temple in Bengaluru.

• It is celebrated annually in the month of Chaitra (March/April) according to the Hindu calendar.

• The festival has its roots in the epic Mahabharata.

• It honours Draupadi as the ideal woman and goddess Shakti.

• The word 'karaga' refers to an earthen pot, which refers to a floral pyramid and an idol of the goddess.

• The karaga is carried over the head of the carrier without touching it.

• The bearer wears a woman's dress with bangles, mangalsutra and vermilion on her forehead.

• Significance of Karaga

• The Karaga procession makes a customary stop at the Astana-e-Hazrath Tawakkal Mastan Shah Soharwardi Dargah to pay homage to Tawakkal Mastan.

• The dargah has been looked after for many generations by the Mujavwar family, a symbol of syncretic Sufism.

• According to him, the history of the dargah is at least 300 years old when Tawakkal Mastan, who came to Bengaluru with his horses in search of trade opportunities, was revered as a saint.