Jedikatte Malai Mahadeshwara Jatra begins

Mysuru

The Jedikatte Malai Mahadeshwara Jatra Mahotsav will take place on Monday and Tuesday in Jayapura village. This festive event will feature the grand celebration of the Hulivahana Utsav and the Konda Utsav on Tuesday.

The festival is organized collectively by the villages of Jayapura, Baradanapura, and Mavinahalli. On the morning of the festivities, devotees from Baradanapura will carry the procession idol of Hulivahana to the Jayedikatte Mahadeshwara temple.

Along the route, devotees will adorn the path with ball flowers and offer camphor. Thousands will break earthen pots and present large floral garlands in homage to the deity.

After performing rituals for the deity, Chandrashekar Swamiji from the Puramath will officially inaugurate the jatra procession. Devotees, with their mouths covered as a sign of reverence, will participate, accompanied by music, traditional drum beats, and Veeragase dance, adding vibrancy to the parade.

On Monday midnight, firecrackers will be lit at the Jayapura junction, drawing thousands of spectators to witness the spectacle.

The temple premises have already been adorned with special electric lighting decorations for the Mahadeshwara Swami temple, alongside the shrines of Bandalli Basaveshwara Swami, Karayya, Billayya, Veerabhadraswamy, and Subramanya Swami. Special arrangements are being made for the Konda Utsav in the temple area to facilitate devotees’ visits.

On Monday night, a Harikatha and storytelling program by folk artist Mysore Gururaju will be held in the temple premises, as informed by Mavinahalli K Choudagouda, President of the Jayedikatte Mahadeshwara Jatra Festival Committee.

Meals will be provided to approximately 30,000 people, with 10 separate counters set up for organized food distribution from early Tuesday morning until evening, as stated by Jayapura P. Basavaraju, head of the food committee.