Bangalore Karaga

Bengaluru Karaga is an annual festival celebrated in the Halasuru Pete which is also known by Tigalare Pete, primarily by the Vahnikula Kshatriya community. Based on their heritage story, they built temples to Draupadi and Dharmaraya (another name for Yudhishthira, the eldest of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata). Adishakti Draupadi is the community Deity of the Vahnikula Kshatriyas, one of the foremost communities in Karanataka state. The Dharmaraya Swamy Temple itself is more than 800 years old. It was built by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas, one of the city's oldest communities that was into agriculture and horticulture . The Karaga festival is generally led by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas. Karaga is one of the many traditions of worshiping Adisakti Draupadi Devi. Karaga pooja and festivals have been celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka since ages. Its practice is in use in some parts of Kolar district and Bangalore in the state of Karnataka. It is learnt that there are forty lakh (four million) people belonging to the Vahnikula Kshatriya community living throughout the state: Hoskote, Malur, Kolar, Bengaluru and Anekal taluks have high populations of the Vahnikula Kshatriya community in both urban and rural areas. Basically, this community depends upon agricultural and horticultural activities.

A legend that tells the origin of the Karaga ritual is as follows: It is said that Draupadi created an army of soldiers, called Veerakumaras, after the Mahabharata war, to fight a demon called Timirasura. When the Pandavas were ascending to heaven, the Veerakumaras asked her to stay back. She promised them that she would come back to earth once every year. The ten-day Karaga marks the homecoming of Draupadi. It is a belief.

The original secret of this ritual is kept secret by the elders of the Vahnikula Kshatriya community, the priests who form and carry the Karaga. It may be their position that revealing the secret of divine ritual is bad for the clan and bad for the community. The tradition of worshiping this festival has been carried on by the indigenous people of Bengaluru, Malur, Kolar region Vahnikula Kshatriyas. Their mother tongue is mix of Tamil and Kannada language. It is known that Vahnikula Kshatriyas people are living in the Bangalore surroundings even before 11th century. Later this race seems to have expanded in Bangalore rural and Kolar districts. These people are Pandavas from the beginning. It is believed that his ancestor Veera Vahni Majaraja was born in fire. That's why they have been conducting an inexhaustible ritual in the name of Draupadi, who is the goddess of fire, the unlimited prowess and the wife of the Pandavas.

Dharmaraya Swamy temple in Bangalore is the center of Karaga Mahotsava. There is no clear evidence as to when this temple was built. Bangalore Karaga is being celebrated more than 800 years . Some records say that this temple was built in 11th century. This temple was there before the time when Magadi Kempegowda was building the city of Bangalore. Dharmaraya Swamy temple was built by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas in Bangalore. There is a record that Shri Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeya gave inam lands to Dharmaraya Swamy temple. The temple is attractive with a spacious courtyard, ashwathtakatta, tall pillared hangings. There are three pictorial towers in Dravidian style. Entering through the Mahadwara, there are beautiful sculptures of stone elephants on both sides of the Mukha Mantapa. The mantapa of the first half rests on solid carved pillars. The other half is the sanctum sanctorum. Inside the sanctum sanctorum of this temple, there are idols of Dharmarayaswamy to the left of the audience and Lord Krishna to the right. In front of both of them is the pedestal of divine power. On this Peetha, the Hasikarga is decorated and worshipped. Besides this there are beautiful idols of Arjuna, Draupadi and Bhimasena.

Bangalore Karaga is a nine-day ceremony. After the New Year Ugadi festival, there are various programs starting from the flag hoisting. Among these, community aartiseva Deepotsava on Dwadashi, creation and installation of Hasikaraga on Trayodashi, Pongaluse on Chaturdashi and Karagada Utsav on Purnami – these events are prominent.

Hasi Karaga/Pacchi Kargu: On the day of Chaitrasuddha Trayodashi, the Karaga Pujari, clan priests, veerakumaras and clansmen gather at the Sampangi lake courtyard, a little to the east of the Dharmarayaswamy temple, around midnight. A place will be cleaned and a red umbrella will be planted there. The Veerakumaras, who had been fasting for the previous seven days, would arrange their shiny sharp swords in a crescent shape. veerakumars were taken Deekshe in the presence of his clan priests and elders in the name of Karaga devata. Veerakumars are the bodyguards of Karaga who have unwavering devotion to the worship of the Goddess. veerakumars devoutly striking their chest with the swords in his hands. Then, if blood comes, instead of medicine, they apply the goddess's Bhandar on the wound. A crowd of hundreds of veerakumaras wearing white challan, red waist band and kalapat turban on their head is very attractive to see. These veerakumara warriors are carrying swords, but they are messengers of peace, their faces are full of devotion with the Naama on their foreheads. Then, under the direction of the clan priest and the leadership of the clan elders, around the third hour of the night, the Hasikaraga is ready. Under a red umbrella, a mardha of swords arranged in a crescent shape, a karaga decorated with red cloth, round jasmine garland, turmeric-kumkum and other auspicious things is put up for worship. By this time, the Karaga pujari is decorated with jasmine flowers. The priest performs Maha mangalarathi. The scent of jasmine along with the smoke of burning camphor makes the entire premises fragrant. Veerakumaras who are standing for the service of the goddess chant Govinda Govinda and beat their chests with swords. This work done as an offering to Mahashakti is called Alaguseva. Amidst the encircling veerakumaras, the priest devoutly picks up the karagava and keeps it on the left side of his waist. Under the protection of Veerakumaras, the Pujari solemnly continues to dance under the guidance of the bell priest. The role of the bell priest is important in Karaga Mahotsava. When the Karaga leaves, he continues to guide the Karaga by rhythmically ringing the gante(bell), reciting the glories of the Goddess. This right is inherited like the right of priest. Somewhere in the middle, when the priest kneels down, the ritual service is performed. Proceeding in this way, the Hasikaraga circumambulates seven or nine times the big hut located at the symbol of the Yelu sutthina fort in the north of the municipal office, comes towards the temple and circumambulates the chariot prepared outside the temple and dances. On this auspicious day, the sun rises and enters the karaga sanctum sanctorum. Karaga is enshrined and decorated in the Shaktipeetha. The next day is Chaturdashi. On that night in the temple there will be functions like Mahabharata discourse, Pongalu seva at sunrise.

Huvina Karaga/Poo Karagu: On the Chaitrasuddha full moon, in the evening, the Karaga priest performs Vapana Samskara, wears bracelets and wears a handful of bangles. Puja and Homam are conducted in the temple in Vaishnavagam style. After that there will be welfare festival of Arjuna and Draupadi. At night, all those concerned as Karaga Bear Pujari, Bandi Pujari, Veerakumaras join the Sampangi Lake. There the Pujari is adorned with Acchamallie, Jadekuchchu, garlands, wears a turmeric colored saree, wears a blouse and adorns the bosom with coral necklace and jewels. The Karaga Pujari in female form dresses up like a bride. After that, incense, lamp and aarti are offered to the divinely empowered priest. After being worshiped by Veerakumaras, Adishakti will emerge on the face of the priest. Guided by the sound of the bell, everyone joins the temple with mangala vaadya and only the priest enters the sanctum sanctorum. By this time thousands of eyes of the people crowded around the temple are focused towards the temple. After honoring the clansmen and invitees in the enclosure, the gigantic chariot carrying the Utsava murtis of Arjuna and Draupadi moves a short distance towards the east. As the nadasvara, bells are resounding, the priest wearing a Karaga decorated with jasmine flowers on his head emerges from the sanctum sanctorum like a goddess. After the Maha Mangalarati, the temple begins with a Karaga procession receiving the devotion of innumerable devotees under the eulogistic direction of Gante Pujari. As the route of Karaga is pre-designated and announced, countless spectators gather on both sides of those routes and on the roofs of buildings. Vahnikula Kshatriya youths who are skilled in wrestling, lathi and sword fighting will display their skills before the festival. On that day, special puja is held in all the temples of the city. There is excitement everywhere. Karaga Shakti is worshiped in the temples along the route of Karaga. Karaga is also worshiped at Mastan Saheba Dargah in Aralepete on the way of this deity. The rule is to reach the Karaga temple before the sun rays fall on it. Accordingly, by six o'clock in the morning, it reaches the Karaga temple. After that, worship is done to Karaga regardless of caste and religion. Another inexhaustible attraction is the Pallakki of many gods of the city, the colorful festival of pavilions, which leaves with the night chariot. It seems as if all the Gods have joined to fulfill the wishes of the devotees in that glorious procession, which attracts the eyes no matter how far they look. Since the beginning of the Karaga ritual, its splendors have been increasing. The emanation of power in the melt, the walking without the support of the hands holding it on the head—all these things are walking like glory. Those concerned can speak of greatness but nothing of mystery. The reason for that glory is their unwavering faith in the worship of that divine power. The worship of the Pandavas, which is the background to the worship of Karaga, is most popular in South India. Karaga has been celebrated for hundreds of years in many villages in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka. However, the Karaga Utsava as a traditional religious spectacle is found only in Bangalore. Among the Vahnikula kshatriya community, great devotion to Karaga shakti has been ingrained for generations.[1][2]