Bengaluru Karaga
Also called Karaga Shaktyotsava
When
Tuesday, 20 April 2027 in 222 days
New Delhi · change location
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Why this date?
Chaitra Purnima, at the Dharmaraya Swamy temple in Bengaluru.
- Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
- Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
- Governed by the whole day rather than a specific period
- The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar
Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate →
What In short
One of Bengaluru's oldest festivals. A priest of the Thigala community carries the karaga — a tall floral pot — on his head through the night without touching it, dressed as a woman, accompanied by veerakumaras with drawn swords.
- Deity: Draupadi as Adi Shakti
Why The reason behind it
The Thigala tradition holds Draupadi to have taken the form of Adi Shakti, and the carrier embodies her for the night. He lives apart from his household for eleven days beforehand and wears his wife's mangalsutra during the procession; the observance's demands on him are the festival's substance.
Traditional basis
Thigala community tradition — The Draupadi–Adi Shakti narrative and the karaga carrier's preparation.
Dharmaraya Swamy temple practice — The Chaitra Purnima procession and the veerakumara escort.
How At home, step by step
- The procession runs through the night and into dawn; the route is fixed and long-standing.
- It stops at the Mastan Saheb dargah — a Muslim shrine — which has been part of the route for generations.
Fasting and breaking the fast
The carrier and the veerakumaras keep a strict preparatory observance for eleven days.
Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice — if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.
Personal In your region
- Karnataka (Kannada)
A Bengaluru festival specifically, centred on the Thigala community's temple.
For children
A man carries a tall pot of flowers on his head all night without ever touching it, walking through the old parts of Bengaluru with men carrying swords beside him.
Common questions
- Why does the procession visit a dargah?
- Because it long has. The stop at the Mastan Saheb dargah is a fixed part of the route and is generally cited as one of the city's older instances of shared observance.
This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.