Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)
Bantwa, Mar 16: Even as awareness about the need to do everything to contain spread of coronavirus is spreading, Polali Goddess Rajarajeshwari temple management has temporarily stopped dispensing of holy water (Teertha), and also performing religious procedures like Brahmarpana, Teertha Snana and Kalasha Snana.
The temple will be visited by devotees in large number for a month beginning shortly. Therefore, the temple has been laying emphasis on spreading awareness about the precautions to be taken against the deadly coronavirus infection.
A special meeting under the leadership of Bantwal MA, Rajesh Naik Ulippady, was held at Polali on Sunday, March 15. It was decided to take various steps to create awareness about this virus through hanging of banners and taking other measure. Taluk medical officer Dr Deepa Prabhu, explained about the precautions that can be taken against the spread of this virus.
Polali temple managing trustee Dr Manjayya Shetty, Ammunjeguthu Krishnakumar Poonja, Chera Sooryanarayana Rao, chief priest Madhava Bhat, Krishnaraj Marla, Bantwal tahsildar Rashmi S R, executive officer Praveen, panchayat development officer Padma Naik, taluk panchayat member Yashwant Polali, Jeevaraj Shetty Amunje, Venkatsh Navada, Sampat Kumar Shetty, Bantwal police station house officer Prasanna, Penamangalore revenue inspector Rama Katipalla, Vidyacharan Bhandary and others were present.
The annual car festival of Polali Sri Rajarajeshwari temple has begun. On Saturday night, Bhandara of Kodamanithaya Daiva arrived from Malali Ulippadyguthu. The festival got official inaugural in the form of hoisting of the flag on Thursday night. After Kodibali, Kanchil Bali procedure was performed. Hundreds of people, who had taken religious vows, complied with the vow during the Kanchil Bali Utsav. Thereafter, small chariot was pulled.
As per procedure, a day before, a delegation had visited Puthige Lord Somanatha for fixing dates. On Sunday morning, the astrologers on behalf of the temple holding areca nut inflorescence as per procedure secretly consulted the person assigned with the task of playing musical instruments about the period of the festival. Various other processes including offering of prayers of Daiva Patris donning the roles of Somakasura and Renjakasura as well as other traditional procedures were followed.
The Polali festival will be of 29 days duration with five days of Chendu game. The festival begins on March 15. The first Chendu game is on April 6 followed by second, third, fourth and last Chendu game on April 7, 8, 9 and 10.