Karaga Festival
Discover the 9-day Karaga, a tradition started and sustained by a Tamil-speaking community of gardeners called Thigalars. The Karaga festival is held at the Dharmaraya Swamy Temple in Bangalore. Just after dusk on the Karaga day between March and April, a priest dressed in female attire leads a spectacular procession to the accompaniment of dazzling swordplay by a number of dhoti-clad, bare-chested Thigalars. On his head, he carries a flower-bedecked pyramid. A unique feature of the Karaga is the unbroken tradition of visiting the tomb of an 18th century Muslim saint every year - this custom has become a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity.
Month: April
Month: April
