Mangalore Dasara

The Mangalore Dasara (Tulu: Marnemi) , is a festival in the Indian city of Mangalore organized by Kudroli Shri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple. It is also referred as Navarathri Festival, Vijayadashami. The tiger dance, lion dance and bear dance are the main attractions.The city is decorated with lights for the 10 days of the occasion.

People decorate their houses and businesses, shops, hotels, etc. Most of the roads in Mangalore such as M.G Road, K.S Rao Road, GHS Road are decorated for the procession. The image of Mangalore City Corporation building decorated with colorful and bright lights makes for a spectacular viewing.

The hundred year anniversary (1912 - 2012) celebration was the center of attraction during the Navrathri festival. Navrathriand Shivarathri are the two big festivals celebrated at Gokarnanatheshwara Temple. Mangalore Dasara was started by B.R.Karkera.

Royal Tiger dance (Tulu: Pilivesa, Kannada: Hulivesha) is a folk dance performed during Dasara. Typically young males form troops of five to ten. They are costumed like tigers and use a band with two or three drummers. They roam around the streets and houses. The tiger dance is performed to honor the goddess Sharada, whose favoured animal is the tiger.

During Navaratri various idols along with Sharada Devi will be installed by the priests at Swarna Kalamantapa amidst the chanting of hymns and performance of Vedic rituals.^[2] In these nine days of celebrations, the decorated idols of Sharada Devi along with Mahaganapati and navadurgas will be worshipped.

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