Bengaluru's 300-Year Old Karaga Festival Returns: 9-Day Festival To Be Held From April 15-23

The annual Bengaluru Karaga, one of the oldest festivals, will be held from April 15-23 at the Dharmarayaswamy Temple in Thigalarapet, the heart of the city. The dates were finalised after a meeting between the Muzrai Department and the temple administration. Rooted in the Hindu mythological epic Mahabharata, the 300-year-old Karaga festival is celebrated annually.

This year, A Jnanendra will continue to be the Karaga bearer. The nine-day festivities will take place at the Dharmarayaswamy Temple and will culminate in a grand procession.

During the final day of the festival, the priest, dressed as goddess Draupadi, leads a procession to the Dharmarayaswamy Temple in Thigalarapet, carrying a mud pot adorned with a tall floral decoration.

The Karaga festivities are traditionally held on a full moon day of the 'Chaitra Masa' of the Hindu calendar, which usually falls in March or April. This year, the festival will start on April 15 and end on April 23.

The procession is the highlight of the festival, with the priest, dressed in female attire, leading the spectacular event. The night-long festivities start at the Dharamarayaswamy Temple and pass through various parts of the city before returning to the temple before dawn.

The festival is celebrated by the Vanihikula Kshatriya community to welcome the goddess Draupadi. According to legend, Draupadi, after the Mahabharata war, built an army of soldiers called Veerakumaras to fight the demon Timirasura. When Draupadi was leaving for heaven with the Pandavas, the Veerakumaras pleaded with her to stay. She promised to return to earth once every year, and the Karaga festival is celebrated to mark her annual homecoming.

The festival is also celebrated in Anekal, Kolar, Hoskote, and surrounding areas of Bengaluru every year.