| With several ancient temples and rich cultural heritage, Karnataka cselebrates various colorful temples. Having a multi-religious population, many festivals are celebrated here |
| |
| Vairamudi Brahmotsava |
| On April 4th 2009, Vairamudi Brahmostava is celebrated at Melkote. This is an annual festival which gathers more than 2 lakh devotees of Lord Cheluva Narayana |
| |
| Hampi Festival (Vijaya Utsav) |
| The ruins of Hampi come alive with the strains of music and sounds of dance when the State Government holds the Vijaya Utsav to recreate the grandeur of the erstwhile Vijayanagar Empire and a bygone era. Similar festivals are held at Halebid, Pattadakal, Karavalli, and Lakkundi. Other district festivals are held in consultation with the District Commissioners of different Districts. |
|
| Dussehra (Dasara) |
| Dusshera is the main Hindu festival of Karnataka. This ten days festival was celebrated with extravagance by the rulers of Vijayanagar Empire. Later, this became a tradition. The festival was celebrated at Mysore where a Durbar was held for 9 days and on the 10th day a huge procession was taken out with decorated elephants, colorful folks and much more. It is still celebrated in Mysore with great pomp and show |
| |
| Treat yourself to the pomp and pageantry of the Dussehra festival in Mysore. This festival commemorates the victory of the Goddess Chamundi over the demon Mahishasura. Pageants, parades, and music create a kaliedoscope of colour and gaiety. Crowds jostle to catch a glimpse of the glittering palace. On the last day, a colourful procession of soldiers in ceremonial dress, cavalry, infantry, caparisoned elephants, and colourful tableaux wend their way from the palace gates to Bani Mantap, where the torchlight parade and a magnificent display of horsemanship mark the grand finale. Dussehra in Madikeri is held with a procession of beautifully lit temple cars and a prize is given for the best decorated temple car |
| |
 |
| |
| Kambala (Buffalo Race) |
| When the fields are flush with water, buffaloes race down a slushy track, egged on by a strong-muscled farmer who surfs his way down the track behind the beasts while balancing precariously on a trailing wooden plank.A riot of colour, frenzied cheers, and shining torsos slick with sweat mark this annual sporting event where the prize goes to the swiftest. Get swept away by the excitement of the Kambala buffalo race, a rural sport in southern coastal Karnataka, which originally began as a royal pastime and was later continued by the feudal lords of the Tulu region. |
| |
| Buffalo racing season: From November to March in Baradi Beedu, Bolantur, Kolatta Majalu, Bajagoli, Puttur, Kamalakatte, and Uppinangadi and Kolakebylu |
| |
| Deepavali |
| Deepavali or Diwali is the festival of diyas or deepas (lights). This five day festival marks the Demon Narkasura killed by Lord Krishna, has been celebrated across the country and all over the world by Hindus. It is also called Kaumudi Deepam or Dipalika. The Festival Of Lights is the most celebrated Hindu festival. It is the festival of renovating our lives |
| |
| The festive preparations begin long before the festival, with houses and business units get cleaned and white washed. Then comes the shopping for new clothes for all the members of the family, the sweets and savouries are prepared,and decorations with streamers, lamps and bursting of crackers. |
| |
| Vaikunta Ekadashi |
| Vaikunta Ekadashi, occurs in the Hindu calendar month of Marghazhi or Margashira or Margasirsa (corresponding to late December - January in English calendar). Vaishnavism (Worship of Lord Vishnu) culture believes that ‘Vaikunta Dwaram’ or ‘the gate to Lord's Inner Sanctum’ is opened on this day. The Margashirsha shukla paksha ekadashi in lunar calendar is known as a 'Mokshada Ekadashi'. People also know that as a vaikuntaekadashi |
| |
| Ganesha Chaturthi |
| Ganesha Chaturthi or Ganesha Festival is a day on which Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, resurrected to life on earth with the head of elephant. It is celebrated as it is the birthday of Lord Ganesha.. It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi in Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu, Chavath in Konkani and as Chathaa in Nepal Bhasa. This festival is observed in the lunar month of bhadrapada(aHindu month), shukla paksha chathurthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). madhyahana vyapini purvaviddha. Typically, the day falls sometime between August and September . The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananta Chaturdashi |
| |
| Gowri Festival |
| Gowri Habba or festival is celebrated a day before Ganesh Chaturthi. It is a significant festival in parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu. Goddess Gowri, wife of Lord Shiva, the mother of Lord Ganesha and Lord Subramanya is worshiped through out India for her ability to bestow upon her devotees power, courage, valour. She is the most powerful of all the Goddess and is the very incarnation of Aadhi Shakthi Mahamaya. It is believed that on the thirteenth day Thadige of the month of Bhaadrapada Goddess Gowri is welcomed at her patents’ house. The next day Lord Ganesha, her son comes as if to take her back to Kailasa. The Swarna Gowri vratha is performed on the occasion, to appease the Goddess. |
| |
 |
| |
| Ground nut festival |
| Kadalekai Parishe, the annual groundnut fair is held on the last Monday of Karthika Masa(month in Hindu calendar) near Dodda Ganesha, temple, close to the Bull Temple at Basavanagudi. The fair started from the previous day with people thronging to the stalls selling buying variety of groundnuts. The day is a full moon day with vendors from our state and the neighboring states bring their first harvest to the market |
| |
| Maha mastakabhisheka, Shravanabelagola |
| Once in 12 years the well known Jain pilgrim centre, Shravanabelagola in Karnataka gets transformed into a throbbing city, when millions of devotees converge to participate in the spectacular ceremonies for the Maha Mastakabhisheka (sacred head anointing ceremony) of the magnificent 18 metre high statue of Bahubali. This event is commemorative of the first Maha Mastakabhisheka performed in 981 A. D., by Chavundaraya, the prime minister and commander-in-chief of the Ganga kingdom in Karnataka. Since the installation and consecration of the statue in 981 A. D. the ritual has been carried out with a regular periodicity of twelve years. The last one performed in 1993, attracted lakhs of pilgrims from all over the world |
| |
| The Maha Mastakabhisheka is the most thrilling act of worship seen anywhere in the world. The highlights of the celebration comprise the head-anointing and the ritual bathing of the magnificent colossus adorning the top of the lofty Vindyagiri hillock that dominates the landscape all around. A spectacular procession of devotees carrying 1008 ornamental vessels containing sacramental water climb a huge scaffolding rising behind the statue of Bahubali to perform the ritual bathing amidst scriptural incantations. At the second stage, the statue is bathed with hundreds of litres of milk, sugarcane juice, and pastes of saffron, and sandal wood. Then follows a torrent of powders of coconut, turmeric, saffron, vermilion and sandalwood on the divine figure. The cascade of colours presents a dazzling and fascinating rainbow-effect over the contemplative countenance of the saint. Precious offerings of gems and gold and silver petals and coins are showered as symbols of reverential homage. In the finale to the grand proceedings a helicopter flies over the statue showering the choicest flowers on Lord Bahubali |
| |
| Mahashivaratri: A night of vigil for Lord Shiva |
| All over India, Mahashivaratri occurs on the 14th night of the new moon during the dark half of the month of Phalguna. On a moonless night in February every year, occurs the night of Shiva, the destroyer. This is the night when he is said to have performed the Tandava or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction |
| |
| Yugadi |
| Yugadi is considered as the New Year's Day in Kannada tradition. It falls on the late March or early April and is celebrated all over Karnataka. On this day the dinner is specially prepared and it starts with jaggery and neem leaves. This depicts that life is nothing but a bundle of joys and sorrows |
| |
| Karaga |
| This festival is mainly celebrated at the Darmaraya Temple in Bangalore. It is celebrated on the full moon day of Chaitra, the first month of Hindu Calendar. This festival is celebrated in the honor of Draupathi, the spouse of Pandavas, famous religious characters from the great Hindu epic, Mahabharata |
| |
| Naga Panchami |
| Panchami habba or Festival is one of the auspicious day for Hindu women. India, the land of cobra, and snake charmers as it is famous for, has special reverence to the snakes. The serpents are associated with many Gods in the Hindu mythology. |
| |
| Shankranthi |
| Makara Shankranti is the harvest festival, a new year and the festival of rejoicing and celebrations embracing the entire household friends and neighbors, the servants and the poor, the cows, and then all other living creatures symbolizes universal love and kindness. Pongal is the main dish that is relished on Shankranthi |
