Festivals and Fairs in Karnataka

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The Hindus have several religious holy days, occasions of festivals and fasts throughout the year. Some of the important festivals for Hindus are:

  • New Year Day or Ugadi (the first day of Chaitra month);
  • Ramanavami (the birth day of Lord Rama, the ninth day of Chaitra);
  • Basava Jayanthi the birth day of Basaweshwara (Akshayatritiya);
  • Shankara Jayanthi the birth day of Acharya Shankara (Vaishaka Shuddha Panchami);
  • Kara Hunnime (full moon day of Jyestha, a festival for peasants);
  • Ashadha Ekadashi (the eleventh day of the bright half of Ashadha);
  • BheemanaAmavasya (New Moon day of Ashadha);
  • Nagapanchami the festival of Serpent God (on the fifth day of Shravana);
  • Gokulashtami, the birth day of Lord Krishna (the eighth day of the dark fortnight of Shravana);
  • Ganesh Chaturthi (fourth day of the bright half of Bhadrapada when God Ganesh is worshiped);
  • Navarathri or Dasara (first ten days of Ashweeja Masa);
  • Deepavali (thirteenth day of dark half of Ashvija) and the festival of light and day to worship Goddess of Wealth Lakshmi (lasts for five days);
  • Bhogi and Makara Sankranthi (on the 13th and 14th January, respectively);
  • Mahashivarathri 13th or the 14th day of the dark fortnight of Magha, a festival in honour of God Shiva; and
  • Holi or Kamana Habba, marking the death of Kama (God of Love) on the full moon day of Phalguna, marked in places with much noise and gay abandon.

In many places, Navarathri is also celebrated as Nada Habba (State festival) on Vijayadashmi day (the victorious tenth day), the statue of Goddess Chamundeshvari is taken in a colourful procession to Bannimantapa with all pomp and pageantry, consisting of tableaux of historical episodes, infantry, mounted horses, Bharat Scouts and Girl Guides, NCC., Bharat Seva Dal etc. Rama Navami and Ganesh Chaturthi are marked by public celebrations accompanied by speeches, dance and music recitals. Kodavas have three important festivals like Koil Muhurta, Cauvery Sankramana and Huthri (harvest festival). The chief Muslim festivals are Id-ul-fitar or breaking the fast, which marks the conclusion of Ramazan; Idul-ul-Zuha or Bakrid which is held on the ninth day of the month called Zil-hajah and the Shab-e-Barat which is celebrated during the evening of the fifteenth day of the month of Shaban. Moharram is celebrated publicly in many places by honouring symbols called tabuts. The Christians observe the New Year day, Good Friday, Ascension day. Feast of St. Joseph, Easter Sunday (the Day of Resurrection), birth day of Mary, Christmas (the birth day of Christ), Thanks Giving Day, Harvest Festival and church anniversary.

The Jains celebrate most of the Hindu festivals in their own way and according to their own tradition and they give importance for fasting, praying and hearing the recitation of the religious texts. Some of the important festivals observed by them are Chaitra Pratipad (Ugadi) to commemorate the victorious
Digvijaya of Bharata, son of Teerthankara Adinatha (Vrishabhadeva); Mahavira Jayanthi (Chaitra Shukla Trayodashi); Dasara (Vijayadashami) is believed to
be the date when Adinatha attained Kevala Jnana or enlightment and the date when his son Bharata secured his disc or Chakraratna); Deepavali (celebrated as the date of Mahanirvana of Mahavira and they worship Lakshmi and Jnana Lakshmi) and Shivaratri (celebrated as Jinaratri as Adinatha is believed to have attained salvation on the dark 14th of Magha). The Sikhs observe Guru Nanak’s birth day of Karteeka Pournima and Gurudwara inauguration day at Nanak Jhira, Bidar with enthusiasm and pomp with ‘akhand pathan’ of Guru Granth Sahib. Kirtan and Satsang attract a large number of Sikhs from many places.

Jatras:

Every year, the Jatras (fairs) are held in honour of village dieties (grama devathas) generally after the harvest takes place. In Hindu temples, Muslim dargahs, Jain bastis and in other holy places of worship people celebrate annual festivals. Men,women, people of rural and urban areas take part in
these jatras with full enthusiasm without discrimination of caste, creed and religion. Itinerary merchants open their stalls to sell toys, sweets, sarees,
vessels, bangles and other items during these jatras. Cattle fairs are also held in many places during the jatras and these are the centres of large trade
and commerce. Jatras promote social and religious harmony among various sections of the society.

Place Name

Month*

Deity/Saint in whose honour the jatra is held

# days

Approximate attendance

Bagalkot dt,Sivayogamandir,Badami taluk Jan.Feb. Hanagal Kumara Swamy 4 50,000
Bangalore district,Bangalore city,Nagartharapete Apr. Dharmaraya (Karaga) 1 5 lakhs
Basavanagudi Nov. Basavanna,(Groundnut fair) 1 50,000
Hanumanthanagar Aug. Kumaraswamy 3 3 lakhs
Bangalore Rural dt.,Huskur, Anekal taluk Feb. Mar. Madduramma 1 40,000
Magadi Apr. Ranganatha 1 1 lakh
Melinajuganahalli,
Doddaballapur taluk
Dec. Ghati Subrahmanya 1 1 lakh
Shivagange
Nelamangala Taluk
Jan Gangadhareshwara 7 50,000
Belgaum dt.,Panth Balekundri,Belgaum taluk Oct.Apr. May Datta Maharaj 3 25,000
Saundatti Nov, Dec Yellamma devi 1 lakh
Handi Badaganatha
Khanapur Tq. Feb.(Shivaratri) Kalabhairava 2 50,000
Chinchili, Raibag taluk Feb Mayakkaa 1 1 lakh
Bellary dt.,
Mailara, Hadagali taluk
Apr. Mailaralinga 4 2 lakhs
Hampi, Hospet taluk Nov. Virupaksha 4 2 lakhs
Bellary Feb. Malleshwara 7 80,000
Kurugodu, Bellary Tq. Apr. Basaveshwara 2 50,000
Sandur Nov. Kumaraswamy 4 20,000
Yashvantanagar,Sandur taluk Apr. Siddarameshwara 2 50,000
Bidar dt.,
Basavakalyana
(Shawwal) Hazrat Syed ,
Tajuddin Bagsawar ,
Urus
5 25,000
Basavakalyan Apr. May Basaveshwara 3 50,000
Humnabad Dec. Veerabhadra 7 30,000
Bijapur dt. ,
Bijapur
Jan.Feb. Siddeshwara 8 30,000
Chamarajanagar dt. ,
Mahadeshwara Hills,
Kollegal taluk
Oct.Nov. Malai Mahadeshwara 7 1 lakh
Chikmagalore dt. ,
Inam Dattatreya Peetha,,
Chikamagalur Tq.
Mar. Dattatreya-Bababudan 3 25,000
Antarghatta,
Tarikere taluk
Feb. Antarghattamma 10 1 lakh
Chitradurga dt. ,
Nayakanahatti,
Challakere taluk
Mar. Thippe Rudra 15 45,000
Dakshina Kannada dt. ,
Dharmasthala
Nov. Manjunatheshwara 3 1,00,000
Davanagere dt. Mar Duggamma 1 80,000
Yalebethur,Davanagere taluk Jan.(once in 3 years) Marikamba 1 80,000
Dharwad dt.,Yamanur, Navalgund Tq. Mar.Apr. Raja Bagh Savar Urus 1 20,000
Dharwad Aug. Ulvi Basavanna 1 30,000
Dharwad Feb. Murugendra 1 30,000
Hubli Feb. Siddharudha 1 1 lakh
Gadag dt.,Gadag Apr. Thotada,Siddalingeshwara 1 20,000
Mukti Mandira,Shirahatti taluk Feb. Dharama Rathotsava 7 More than 1 lakh
Gulbarga dt.Gulbarga Mar. Sharana Basavappa 15 1 lakh
Gulbarga Zekhaida Khaja Bande Nawaz 3 1 lakh
Diggi, Shahapur taluk Aug. Sangamanath 3 50,000
Ganagapur(Deval),Afzalpur taluk Feb. Dattatreya 5 50,000
Hassan dt.,Shravanabelagola (Once in 12 years) Mahamastakabhisheka of Gomateshwara 13 2-3 lakhs
Haveri dt.Shishuvinal,Shiggaon taluk Mar. Shishunal Shariff 1 20,000
Guddada Guddapura
Ranebennur Tq.
Sep.Oct. Mailara Lingeshwara 2 25,000
Kodagu dt.Bhagamandala,Madikeri taluk Oct.Nov. Cauvery 2 20,000
Kolar dt.Thoranahalli,Malur taluk Jan. Sappalamma 10 30,000
Avani, Mulbagal taluk Thalakayalubetta, Feb. Ramalingeshwara 10 30,000
Sidlaghatta taluk Feb. Venkataramana 10 25,000
Nandi, Chikkaballapur Tq. Feb. Bhoga and Yoga Nandeeshwara 7 40,000
Doddakurugodu, (Viduraswatha Gouribidanur Tq. Apr. Vidurnarayana 8 40,000
Devaragudipalli, Bagepalli taluk May. Gadadam Venkataramana 16 30,000
Koppal dt.Koppal June Gavisiddeshwara 5 20,000
Kuknur May Gudneshwara 1 50,000
Mandya dt.Melcote,Pandavapur taluk Mar.Apr. Chaluva NarayanaVairamudi 6 1 lakh
Adichunchanagiri, Nagamangala taluk Jan.Feb Bairava 10 30,000
Srirangapattana Jan. Ranganatha 1 25,000
Mysore dt.Chamundi Hills, Mysore Oct. Chamundeshwari 3 50,000
Talakadu, Nov. Dec.(once Panchalinga
T.Narasipur taluk in 12 years) Darshana 7 2 lakhs
Nanjangud Mar.Apr. Srikanteshwara 15 75,000
Mudukuthore,T.Narasipur taluk Feb.Mar. Mallikarjuna 3 25,000
Raichur dt.Raichur Aug. Syed Shams Alam,Hussain Ali Urus 1 50,000
Devarbhupur,Lingasugur Tq. Feb.Mar. Amareshwara 1 50,000
Shimoga dt.Shimoga Apr. Kote Anjaneya 3 20,000
Islapura, Shimoga Tq. Jan. Guddakal 2 80,000
Pulangere, July Venkataramana 1 30,000
Sagar Jan (Once

in 3 years)

Marikamba 9 40,000
Humcha, Hosanagar Tq. Tq. Mar. Padmavati and

Parshwanatha

1 10,000
Tumkur dt.,Siddaganga, Tumkur Feb Siddhalingeshwara 10 50,000
Yadiyur, Kunigal taluk Apr. Siddhalingeshwara 7 50,000
Devarayanadurga Apr./Mar Narasimha 1 50,000
Udupi dt.Udupi Jan.(Once in 2 years) Lord Krishna / paryaya 7 50,000
Kollur, Kundapur Tq. Nov. Mookambika 10 1,00,000
Subrahmanya,Sullia Tq. Dec. Subrahmanya 1 25,000
Uttara Kannada dt. Banavasi Dec. Madhukeshwara 2 1 lakh
Sirsi Mar (Once in
2 years)
Marikamba 7 1 lakh
Sonda(Swadi), Sirsi taluk May Vadiraja 5 25,000
Ulvi, Supa taluk Jan.Feb Channabasaveshwara 8 50,000
Gokana, Kumta taluk Mar. (Shivaratri) Mahabaleshwara 1 50,000
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