As the winter makes way to warmer days, Bangalore prepares for its most popular festival in the old quarters of the town. Karaga is perhaps the most well-known traditional festival in Bangalore, celebrated with a large gathering around Dharmarayaswamy Temple in the center of the town.
During this year’s Karaga, a bunch of photography enthusiasts from Bangalore Photowalks gathered together to document the festival and spent the whole night capturing the celebrations.
People who have attended our workshops know how much I emphasize on practice and recommend going out with like minded enthusiasts, and that I usually recommend signing up with Bangalore Photowalks. In the past, a good number of Darter Photography Workshop participants have joined this community and have been participating in the walks. During the Karaga festival, some photography enthusiasts who attended our workshops were at the festival and came back with beautiful images. Here is a compilation of those images from Sandeep Sreenivasa, Shilpakala and Vikram Ramesh. Captions are as provided by the photographers.
Click on the photos to see larger images.
Photograph by Sandeep Sreenivasa: Dharamarayaswamy temple in Thigalapete is the focal point for the Karaga festival. Thousands of people especially from Thigala community gather at this venue on first full moon day of lunar new year (Chaitra Poornima)
Photograph by Sandeep Sreenivasa: All were busy hunting for their vantage points in order to have proper glimpse of the Karaga.
Photograph by Vikram Ramesh: At a temple, just at the beginning of the Sunkalpet.
Photograph by Sandeep Sreenivasa: Waiting for arrival of Karaga at Hazrat Tawakal Mastan Shah Dargah. The story behind a hindu deity entering a muslim shrine is very interesting. Long back time, the Sufi saint suffered some injuries during Karaga procession. Seeing the unfortunate incident, the Hindu priest stopped to apply turmeric to the Muslim saint’s wounds. Touched with this, the Sufi master asked that the Karaga stop at his tomb after his death. And so the tradition began that is followed even today !
Photograph by Sandeep Sreenivasa: Head Priest of the temple coming out manifesting himself as Draupadi. Wikipedia describes this moment as “Thousands and thousands of eyes awaiting the Karagashakthi to come out from the Garbhagruha. The enlightened Karaga Shakthi comes out like a thunder light from Garbhagruha”
Photograph by Vikram Ramesh: all shop owners in and around SP road make arrangements to give prasadam to all devotees out of their expenses. prasadams vary from Pulavs to Pongals.
Photograph by Shilpakala
Photograph by Shilpakala
Photograph by Shilpakala
Photograph by Shilpakala
Photograph by Sandeep Sreenivasa: A huge gathering means business to several people. The road side eat-outs which usually close down by dusk time were open to cash on with the overnight celebrations.
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