Mysore/Mysuru: The six-day historical 102nd Mysuru Karaga Mahotsava, organised by Ittigegud’s Sri Renukadevi Karaga Temple Trust, began today and will conclude on Apr.  26.

The festivities began at 6 am today with the performance of the first Abhisheka following which Kankana was tied on all four directions of city and various rituals for Sri Chamundeshwari and Sri Mariyamma were performed. A procession of Sri Chamundeshwari Karaga was taken out from the foot of Chamundi Hill to the temple at 11 am today.

At 1 pm, Sri Shakthi Karaga and Sri Mariyamma Karaga were taken out in a procession from Kote Mariyamma Temple and were brought to the Ittigegud Temple where the rituals were held in accordance with the custom. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Karaga will be taken in a procession on various streets of Ittigegud during which devotees welcome the Karaga to their homes and perform puja.

On Apr. 25 at 8 pm, the grand Karaga procession will be taken out from Renukadevi Temple premises and will pass through Palace Office Road (10 pm), Chamaraja Double Road (11 pm), N.S. Road (12 midnight), Nallappatana Police Station Road (1 am), Shivarampet, Sayyaji Rao Road, Mission Hospital Road, Kabir Road, Kalammagudi Temple Road (3 am), Kurubageri (4 am), Kumbarageri, Ashoka Road (5 am), Nazarbad (6 am) and Mysuru Zoo Road (8 am), before returning to the Temple.

The procession will be accompanied by a host of cultural troupes, folk troupes such as Puja Kunita, Karagaattam, Stick Fighting, Band Set, Channapatna Tamate, Kamsale, Kombu and Kahale Gaarudi Gombe among others.

On Apr. 26 afternoon, Okuli Aata, Ambali Puja, Tambittu Aarati and Uyyalotsava will be held. On Apr. 27, the Karaga will be immersed at Paschimavahini in Srirangapatna in the morning.

Sri Renukadevi Karaga Temple Trust President and former MLC Sandesh Nagaraj, Vice-President P. Neelakantu, General Secretary C. Shivaprakash, Secretary V. Sundar, Treasurer L. Shambhavamurthy, Joint Secretary Harishkumar, Executive Members Hemu, Chikkalingaiah, Srikantaswamy, M. Manju, Chief Priest Subramanya Dixit, Srihari Dixit, Narayana, Babu, Karthik & Manager K. Nagaraju will participate.