Mangalore: The prince among Hindu festivals, the 10 nights of Sharan Navaratri (Autumn’s nights of devotion) is not far off. It is synchronized with Rama Leela and Commonwealth Games (Oct 4 to 20) in New Delhi. Ram Leela is played at the Central Maidan between New Delhi and old Delhi. In the same period, Dasara is celebrated in Mysore, Madikeri and Mangalore also.

In the DK dt, Navaratri has a new grandeur emanating from Mangaladevi Temple. The ten nights devotion and feeding programmes take place in the Durga Parameshwari Temple, Kateelu which is historic and surrounded by Nandini river. Devotees are fed here in thousands. At Kollur Mookambike Temple (now in Udupi district) devotees from Kerala make a  regular beeline to the holy shrine connected with Adi Shankaracharya who walked around Kotachadri Hills with Devi Mookambike. Even Udupi Sri Krishna Math has Navarathi celebrations.
After the regular religious chants, homas and feeding of devotees (Bhaktas), cultural activities have become common to take the weight away from a tired mind. Devotional music, dance, dramas, Yakshagana plays and music concerts are common all over the coast, as in Mysore. It is a popular festival.
On Oct.13, Lalitha Panchami, Moola Nakshatra (Wednesday) and night Utsava (cart festivals) take place. They continue upto Mahanavami with Chandika Homa, Ranga  Pooja (for Ganesha), and car festivals with devotees holding the ropes to drag the cart.
A holy unity march will be inaugurated by Pejavar Math Seer, Vishwesha Tirtha in Mangalore on Oct.6 upto 8th, according to Pradeep Kalkura, conductor of this walk. This was disclosed on Tuesday in a Press Meet at Sharada College grounds. The Yatra was started in the morning next day from Kanva Tirtha (kadri), by Swamiji who intends to cover several towns and streets on foot to reach holy places in way. Several Saintly  persons will undertake the foot journey with the Udupi Seer, who will teach the way Puja is conducted and Hindu dharma is observed to the devotee Hindus.