Bengaluru came alive in a striking display of devotion and tradition as the historic Karaga festival reached its peak in the early hours of Thursday. The festival is an 800-year-old celebration dedicated to Goddess Draupadi, and is deeply rooted in the city’s Tigala community and symbolises feminine power and communal harmony.At the centre of the ritual, Chief Priest Gnanendra Swamy carried the sacred Karaga through a 26-km midnight procession. The procession began around 1 am from the Dharmaraya Swamy Temple, with nearly 5,000 Veerakumaras accompanying the priest in a centuries-old tradition that continues to define Bengaluru’s cultural identity.
