Tens of thousands of devotees arrived from different parts of the State for the Sharanabasaveshwara Jatra Mahotsava - an annual car festival - celebrated to commemorate the 202nd death anniversary of the 18th-century saint and social reformer Sharanabasaveshwara in Kalaburagi on Saturday.
People from across the State, cutting across communal lines, converged at the sprawling temple complex to witness the historic car festival and the ascension of the holy order (Peetharohana) of the eighth peethadhipati of Sharanabasaveshwara Samsthan Dr. Sharnbasavappa Appa.
The devotees pulled the decorated temple car around the temple complex, soon after Dr. Appa and his son and ninth peetadhipathi Doddappa Appa, displayed the holy silver bowl (Prasada battalu) and the Linga Sajjike (the cover used for keeping the Linga) made up of Sandalwood and used by Sharanabasaveshwara, and blew the conch to signal the devotees to pull the Ratha signaling the beginning of the annual car festival and the fortnight long annual fair. The devotees flung bananas tied with dry dates at the temple car.
Devotees from different parts of the district and neighboring States thronged the temple premises from 4 a.m. In the evening, long queues were seen at the stretch of main roads connecting to the temple and near the famous Appa lake as the devotees, along with their families, were seen waiting eagerly on the terrace to have a glimpse of the annual car festival.
Devotees from surrounding villages practice the inherited traditions of padayatra, and reach the temple during Rathotsava to offer their obeisance to Sharanabasaveshwara. Most of the devotees observe fast from dawn-to-dusk and break their fast partaking “Prasada” from Sharanabasaveshwara samasthan only after the flower-bedecked chariot is pulled by devotees round the main temple complex at 6 p.m.
The fortnight long festival is said to be the biggest congregation in this part of the Kalyana Karnataka region.
Since morning, several voluntary organisations were seen distributing rice, juices, fruits, buttermilk, and water to the devotees at various junctions across the city.
