Bengaluru gears up for grand Karaga Shaktiyotsava procession on April 12

Bengaluru’s centuries-old Karaga Shaktiyotsava, one of the city’s most revered religious festivals, will reach its peak on April 12 with the grand Karaga procession. Rooted in the Mahabharata and deeply significant to the Tigala community, the festival is centered around the Shri Dharmaraya Swamy Temple in Thigalarpet, Old Bengaluru. 

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This year, the sacred floral Karaga, symbolizing Draupadi will once again be carried by priest Jnanendra Vanhikula Gowda, who has led the procession 14 times before. As tradition dictates, the procession will begin on the night of April 12 and travel through the old areas of Bengaluru, returning to the temple before dawn. 

The 10-day festival began on April 4 and will conclude on April 1. Leading up to the main event, Jnanendra and the Veerakumaras, the traditional sword-bearing warriors who protect the Karaga have been performing rituals and visiting various neighborhoods across the city. 

To cater to the larger number of devotees, the temple has arranged daily prasada distribution for 2000 people throughout the festival. With thousands expected to attend the iconic night processions, authorities have implemented tight security, traffic controls and crowd management to ensure smooth celebrations in the heart of the city.