Mangalore : The Navaratri Mahotsava at Mahatobar Sri Mangaladevi Temple in Mangalore, will be inaugurated by Dr Channappa Gowda, Deputy Commissioner of the district on October 16 at 9 am. The celebrations will be held till October 25.

This was informed to reporters here on October 13, Saturday by  P Ramanatha Hegde, Managing Trustee of the Temple. The cultural programmes organized part of Navaratri Festivities will be inaugurated by Nitin Kumar, Chairman, Karnataka State Fisheries Development Corporation on the evening of  October 16. Premanand Shetty, Corporator of Mangaladevi ward, will be the chief guest.

During the Navaratri celebrations,  there will be a folk dance festival with the joint co-operation of Result Oriented Coaching Class and the Temple, he informed.

The valedictory ceremony to be held on  October 25 will be participated among others by Manish Kharbikar, Police Commissioner of Mangalore, Swami Jithakamananda, President, Ramakrishna Math, Mangalore and Dr Naveen Shetty, Principal, Sri Ramakrishna College, Bunts Hostel, Mangalore he said.

Sudhaker Rao Pejawar informed that the Temple has been  in the lead in social welfare activities since the past two decades and added over 550   people  from poor families have benefitted from the mass marriage conducted at the temple. Anna Santharpane is also held  at the temple every Friday which is benefitted by around 5000 devotees.

Pejawar said  that the temple management has  decided to  have a golden cover  weighing 2 kg for the Pushpa Kannadi of the Balimurthi of the  Sri Mangaladevi and also to have  golden Paduka weighing half kg  for the Goddess.  The temple management has sought contributions in the form of gold or cash from the devotees in this regard, he said.

B Rama Naik Kotekar, Trustee and Vinayananda were also present.