Karnataka Tours and Travel

Fair and Festivals are the round-the-year effervescent interludes in the mundane routine of life. In the every season there is a new festival, each bringing a true celebration for the people. In addition to this are the birthdays of gods and goddesses, saints and prophets, great historical happening and the advent of the New Year, all find expression in colorful festivities. New attire, dance, music and ritual, all adds joyful rhythm in the lives of people.

Dussehra
Dussehra festival is celebrated with great pomp and pageantry in Mysore. This festival commemorates the victory of the Goddess Chamundi over the demon Mahishasura. Processions, parades and music create a riot of color and joviality, as crowds shove to catch a glimpse of the glittering palace. On the last day of the festival, a colourful procession of soldiers in traditional dress, cavalry, infantry, elephants and colourful montage make their way from the palace gates to Bani Mandap where a torchlight parade and a magnificent display of horsemanship mark the grand finale.

Hampi Festival (Vijay Utsav)
The magnificent ruined city of Hampi , once the capital of Vijaynagar Empire, comes alive once again during this lively festival of dance and music called Hampi or Vijaya Utsav, held in the first week of November. In the festival the strains of music and sounds of dance recreate the opulence of the bygone era of the one-time Vijayanagar Empire. Similar festivals are held in Halebid, Pattadakal, Karavalli and Lakkundi.

Tula Sankramana
In the October every year, the Kodagu people look forward to this festival, which usually falls on October 17th every year. It is believed thaton this day Goddess Cauvery appears in the form of a sudden upsurge of water in a small tank to give darshan to the countless devotees gathered there. Thousands of people witness the event and seek the blessings of Goddess Cauvery, take bath in the pious water and also carry back with them holy water of Cauvery filled in the bottles.

Vairamudi Festival
During the annual Vairamudi festival, the somnolent town of Melkote comes alive when the deity of the hill shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu is adorned with the legendary diamond studded crown brought from the Mysore Palace . This festival is nightlong and is a part of the 10-day Brahmotsavam.

Kambala (Buffalo Raceing)
This is a festival in which buffalo racing takes place. The fields are flush with water and the buffalo's race down a mushy track, egged on by a strong-muscled farmer who stables perilously on a trailing wooden plank, surfing his way down the track behind the beasts. In this annual sporting occasion, the prizes goes to the swiftest beast. This rural sport in southern coastal Karnataka originated as a royal pastime and was later continued by the feudal lords of the Tulu region. The buffalo-racing season lasts from November to March in Baradi Beedu, Bolantur, Kolatta Majalu, Bajagoli, Puttur, Kamalakatte and Uppinangadi.

Sri Vithappa fair
This is a fair held in the honour of Vithappa deity of the village. Sri Vithappa Fair goes on for three days immediately after Shigi Hunnive. The deity is taken out in a palanquin in a procession accompanied by about 60 parties of drummers. These drummers come from different parts of the state. About 7 to 8 thousand people gather at this time. The devotees offer sheep to the deity and after that the Pujari sells them, the money collected due to this is kept for the temple funds. Devotees also bring pure milk and if it gets converted into curds before offering it to the deity, this is considered a very good omen. Another characteristic of this fair is that a person from Chunchanoor village, picks out some grains in his palm from some bags kept in the temple and the grain which he picks out is then to be the crop which will have rich yield that year.

Sri Shidlingappa's fair
On the occasion of Shivaratri, Sri Shidlingappa's fair is organized by the people. On this day the deity is taken in a palanquin accompanied by drummers (Dollu and Majalu) from several neighbouring villages and then finally to the river where the deity is worshipped and the devotees show their devotion to the God.