DiscoverBangalore is pleased to bring a first hand report on the recently concluded Bengaooru Karaga. Our Special Correspondent Githa U Badikillaya reports.

Dharmaraya Temple in the earlier Times Dharmaraya Temple Today

On 2 April 2008, it was curtain down for the nine day unique spectacle that transformed the city by night into a carnivalesque stage unique to Karnataka and Bangalore in particular. On the full moon day of Chaitra, (March) the excited crowds patiently waited for hours with the backdrop of a veena recital (more like a cultural event) for that expectant moment as the sword wielding Virakumaras,(valour sons) the sons of goddess Draupadi, her protectors, made a dramatic entry shouting digdidi,digdidi,which is a cry to calm the rudra shakti and sing govinda govinda as the Dharmaraya temple doors opened. The crowd surged forward with piety craning their necks for a glimpse of the Karaga and showered jasmine flowers.

Around 2.00am the Karaga made three pradakshanas (circumbulation) of the temple precincts and the procession weaved its way through the sardine packed crowds and embarked on its journey to traverse nearly 10 km halting at 9 cardinal points before sunrise. Not before making its way to the VIP enclosure in the Dharmaraya temple precincts to bless Deva Gowda’s (ex PM) wife and other dignitaries, an indication of the changed times.Supported by the government, there is no interference from that quarter.

Witnessing the event for the first time it was hard to believe that the IT metropolis was transformed into a jatre-a fair ground with a touch of a spring festival, street parade and theatre with gusto and splendour. I was drawn into the spirit of celebration and watched the unfolding of the spell binding all night events on the 7th and 9th days.

KARAGA, means to place the pot(3 feet) on the head without lifting by the hand. The Tigalas (Vahnikula Kshatriyas) community believes that Shakti (female power) invoked after secret rituals in a pot, represents Draupadi and is depicted by a priest in woman’s attire. On the 7th day-the hasi karaga, she is prepared as a maiden to be married to Arjuna on the 9th day when both the utsav murtis (procession idols) are taken in a procession. It is said that the heat brought on by the rituals of the priest, frenzy of the Virakumaras, and citizens become so intense that the Primal Goddess emerges as the Karaga. Unlike the chain of familiar events in the Sanskrit Epic Mahabharata, the birth of the goddess Draupadi every year and the penance of her sons stave off the battle situation to uphold societal order.

The procession weaves through goddess (usually “poxes” devis) and warrior gods’ shrines at nine points in the city. Invariably the Karaga has to stop and pay obeisance at the Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan (18th C AD Sufi saint) dargah in Balepet. The Sufi movement was a force to reckon in the 16c AD, as Muslim incorporation within regional cults was not uncommon. According to legend, Mastan was once hurt when he rushed to have a glimpse of the Karaga procession. The temple priests applied kumkum (vermilion) to his wounds. An overjoyed Mastan prayed to Draupadi that the procession should halt at his dargah (grave) after his death. This tradition has been maintained over the years, giving a distinct secular flavour to the festival.

Mr.T.M.Manohar, Pesident temple committee says-“We do not know when the Karaga started even orally”.

Why karaga?

“Draupadi is a form of shakti that Dharmaraya worshipped. It was for peace that this Karaga is for. Earlier to drive away plague, cholera and other contagious diseases there was the worship to grama devate (village deities) on the outskirts of the village. Also to drive away the evil spirits, Karaga was celebrated.

Draupadi devi as such is not installed in the temple here.At the time of Karaga, she is installed as a chakrastapane, so that the devout get her darshan (view). Otherwise she is represented by a charka peeta. This representation of shakti is followed by only by Tigalas”.

Karaga in 1811 AD was patronized by Krishna raja Wodeyar III who donated vast tracts of land (177 acres) and made it the Nada Habba (state festival) and then Karaga became a nine day festival on the lines of Dassera.

Karaga commences with the all important flag raising ceremony and on the first day the virakumaras and the priest have janivara (thread worn asa band over the left shoulder) and sacred kankana(sacred thread) tied on their wrist, only then can they do seve(serve) to her. Prayers are offered by the priest, virakumaras and chaakrigars. Five hereditary clan families are involved in the tradition. All the rituals are steeped in secrecy. Fom 2nd to 6th days, in the evenings aarthi takes place at the Cubbon park shakti peeta, and then at other 8 water sources. On the 6th day ladies pray to Draupadi Devi with an elaborate aarti. The 7th day is hasi karaga when symbolically the goddess is readied for her marriage. She emerges from the kere (tank), readied as a woman fully decked up like a bride, and by another secret ritual she carries the kalash(pot). The virakumars pay their obeisance to her and escort her to the Dharmaraya temple. The 8th day is Pongal seve done by the wives of the virakumaras to the goddess. On the pournami day the marriage of the goddess and the utsav murtis are taken in a procession. The 10th day is shanthi pooje to Potha raja, also a protector and the brother in law to the Pandavas. The 11th day is vasanth utsava, and the flag is brought down.

Interestingly the Karaga priest performs austerities since six months and he wears his wife’s mangala sutra, who gets it back by a marriage ceremony on the 10th day. She will not be seeing her husband from the time of Vijayadashami who will reside in the temple till the Karaga is over. So when the Karaga procession stops in front of her house, she, unlike the other devotees cannot come out to be blessed. On the lines of Vijayadashami celebration of Dussera , so also on the final day it’s triumph of good that the Karaga celebrates.

The procession does not stop anywhere but is always in a dynamic state. The Prasad of lime received from the goddess is said to bring relief from ailments and misfortunes.

The Dharmaraya temple is unique as its dedicated to the Pandavas and Krishna and not found anywhere in India.In other places there are single temples dedicated to each of the Pandavas.

Goudas, ganacharyas, chakrigararu are the ordained sects in the vahnakula ksatrayias to carry the tradition of conducting the Karaga.

Chakridararu are those who perform the various pooja activities at the time of Karaga.These include the ghante poojaris, who are the gurus and carry out the temple rituals, the kith of the Karaga priest, kith from the clan of potharaja, Banka dasayya (announcers of the Karaga) and kolkararu (message criers). These five families have a kula purohita(clan priest) who is a Brahmin. He performs rituals as per the shastras (sacred texts).

Overall management and supervision is done by ganacharyas. All these catogories of functionaries are supervised by the gowdas who ensure smooth functioning. Everything is perfectly timed as was done some centuries ago.

Mr.Laxman,President of the Horticulturist bank says “Earlier sampige kere, kempabudhi, Lal bagh and Cubbon park (our shakti peeta is there) were areas that were being grown for horticultural activities which today have structures built. We do not have fire rituals though Draupadi is born from fire,we do mostly shanti puje for her. Earlier we had no mantras but now people want chanting of hymns, so we have introduced from the past 20 years. 3000 virakumars are rearing to do the seve, with 15-20 of them having taken deeksha (initiation) today”.

Shiv shankar,an elderly Karaga priest who carried the Karaga from 1976-95 says “the Karaga has in one hand a sword with lime and in the other a stick. Of the severe austerities to be followed is eating once a day for 48 days and full fasting on the Karaga day. All the virkumar fast once a day for 11 days and fast fully for 2 days prior to the karaga”.

A pretty Sushma who completed her 10th exams was very exited throughout and was enjoying with her gang of cousins.She comes here to her grandmother’s place to witness this happening every year and gives me a all knowing look and says we are Marathas ie.Marathi Kshatriyas.

The voluminous quantity of flowers, bananas and lime suggests horticultural activities rather than warrior descendancy and they used to inhabit water sources. The Draupadi cult mediating between a living person and a sacred power that originated from the sampige tank that is today a stadium reflect the changing histories of Bangalore and a commentary on the internal dynamics of the city.

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