Banashankari Amma Temple, Cholachagudda – Festivals

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 8^th 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.