Stories
Putturu Dasara: This time, Putturu Dasara blends devotion with the world of art!
- •The Puttur Dasara festival grandly commenced at the Sharada Mandira located on the premises of the Mahalingeshwara Temple in Puttur, Dakshina Kannada district.
- •The festival, celebrated as the Sharada Festival for the past 92 years, has been officially renamed as Puttur Dasara starting this year.
- •Historical beliefs state that a city bhajan procession carrying Goddess Sharada's photograph miraculously drove away a severe smallpox outbreak in Puttur long ago.
- •The cultural procession avoids DJ sounds and firecrackers, giving exclusive preference to traditional bhajans and performances by local and out-of-state art troupes.
Key Questions Answered
Historically, when a severe smallpox outbreak struck Puttur taluk, locals prayed to Goddess Ullalti and carried a photograph of Goddess Sharada in a city bhajan procession. Believers hold that the epidemic completely vanished once the procession began, leading people to call her 'Sharada the Giver of Health' and sparking a 92-year-old tradition.
Celebrated as the Sharada Festival for the past 92 years, the religious tradition has been officially renamed 'Puttur Dasara' starting this year and is planned with much greater splendor.
To preserve ancient cultural roots amidst modern trends, the Puttur Dasara procession strictly prohibits DJ music and firecrackers. Instead, the event exclusively highlights traditional bhajans and performances by local and out-of-state cultural art troupes.
