Pics :  Suresh Vamanjoor,

Mangalore :  Navarathri Utsav or Mangalore Dasara will commence at the Kudroli Gokarnanatha Kshetra from Friday October 8th to 18th October 2010.
Harikrishna Bantwal, trustee of the committee said in press conference that this is the only temple in the world which installs all the Navadurgas and Sharada idol in one particular place.

Mahanavami Utsav and Mangalore Dasara celebrations will begin with the  consecration of Navadurgas in the decorated hall at the premises of Gokarnatha temple tomorrow on Friday, October 8 at 12.15pm and the nine day festivities will include several religious and cultural programmes. DC V Ponnuraj will inaugurate the event.

The poojas will offered every day to installed Idols (Different Avatara of Goddess Durga) like Mahagowri, Mahakali, Kathyayini, Shailaputhri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmandini, Skandmatha and  Siddhidhatri.
On the tenth day of the Utsav, a grand procession will start at 4 pm from Kudroli temple and pass through Alake, Mannagudda, Lady Hill, M.G. Road, Ram Bhavan Circle Hampankatta and back to Kudroli where all the idols will be immersed with ritual rites.  Several dance and folk performing troupes coming from all over the states and the neighbouring states will participate in the procession. The procession will feature Somana Kunitha, Dollu Kunitha, Hulivesha, Yakshagana, Karaga Kunitha, Gombae mela from Kalladka, Veeragasae, Trishur colour umbrella dancers Chende and Panchavadya from Kerala , Kolata from Andhra Pradesh, 100 drummers troupe from Pune Maharashtra and many other local folk performers will also join the procession.
H S Sairam, President and Administrator officer, Sri Gokarnatha Kshethra, Raghavendra Kulur, Vice president, Padmaraj R, Devdas, Devendra Poojary and others were present in the press meet.