Banashankari Amma Temple,
Cholachagudda – Festivals
Banashankari Jatra:
Banashankari Jatra is held as a
religious cum cultural festival, at the temple precincts every year on the
occasion of the Rath yatra, for a period of about three weeks starting from the
Rath yatra. Its starts on 8th day of Pushya masa (Jan-Feb). It is celebrated
on full moon day. Pilgrims from across Karnataka and also the neighboring state
of Maharashtra belonging to different religious beliefs, congregate here in
large numbers to celebrate the festival.
The time is considered
auspicious to even fix marriages and purchase agricultural implements. Cultural
programmes (music, drama, and circus) are held to entertain the largely rural
community who flock the venue to not only worship their favorite deity but also
for fun and frolic. It symbolizes cultural bonding between people of different
communities here. A unique feature is that many shops and kiosks set up during
the festival selling vermilion, clothing, sacred threads and sweets are
operated by Muslims.
The shops run by Muslims also
display a portrait of goddess Banashankari in their shops. Another interesting
marketing activity seen at this venue is of the sale, by artisans of Holeyalur
and surrounding areas, of elaborately engraved door frames and doors made in
teak, acacia, and other varieties of wood. Cattle fair is also held during this
festival. Speciality of the cattle fair is the focus on sale of white bulls. During
the festival, the temple and town are decorated with hundreds of varieties of
leaves and flowers.
In the fair, which starts on
Bandhashtami day, a Palleda Habba or the Vegetable Utsava or festival
is also held when at the start itself 108 varieties of food items (called bazi
in local language) made of vegetables are offered to the deity. The festival
also marks another unique event namely, the Theppothsava (the boat
festival) held in the temple tank. During this event, parents use boats made of
banana stems to ferry newly born children blessed by the grace of the goddess
around the pond seeking good luck to their children.
Rath Yatra:
The Rath Yatra or
chariot festival of the goddess held every year starts on the full
moon day of the Hindu month Pausha (January) in which the temple goddess Parvati is taken in the chariot (a movable shrine) in a procession
through the streets of the Cholachagudda village. The Rath yatra is witnessed
by thousands of people, irrespective of their caste and creed from across the
state. To see this cultural and religious extravaganza, people from adjacent
villages come in colorfully decorated carts.
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