Mysore/Mysuru: Thousands of devotees from Mysuru and surrounding districts thronged Ittigegud to take part in the 100th Mysuru Karaga Mahotsava of Goddess Chamundeshwari and Goddess Mariyamma yesterday.

Ittigegud wore a festive look with the main thoroughfares decked with serial lights and flower strands for the past four days. Various rituals were held from 6 am on May 15 with abhisheka performed to the idol of Goddess Mariyamma before Kankana was tied to the four directions of the locality.

On the day of Karaga, Ambali puja was performed at 12 noon followed by Okuli and Tambittu Aarati to the deities at 4 pm.

The Karaga which began at 8 pm from the temple premises in Ittigegud went around Mysuru city the whole night including Palace Road, Chamaraja Double Road, Narayana Shastri Road, Shivarampet, New Sayyaji Rao Road, Ellamba Temple, Mission Hospital Road, Kabir Road, Kalamma Temple Road, Irwin Road, Kurubageri, Kumbarageri, Ashoka Road and Nazarbad before returning to the temple premises in the wee hours of today.

The Karaga was accompanied by folk and cultural troupes including Nadaswara, band set, Veeraghase, Devara Kunitha, Kamsale, Kombu, Kahale, Tamate and Garudi Kunitha among others. Yesterday’s event also witnessed youths, both men and women, seeking the blessings of the deities to enter into wedlock soon.

Earlier, Sri Renukadevi Karaga Temple Trust Chairman and former MLC Sandesh Nagaraj felicitated MLAs K. Harishgowda and T.S. Srivatsa on the occasion. Trust Executive Committee Members P. Neelakantu, C. Shivaprakash, V. Sundaramurthy, G. Harish Kumar, L. Shambumurthy, Hemu, Chikkalingaiah, Srikantaswamy, M. Manju, Subramanya Dixit, Srihari Dixit were present.