Udupi: Also known as Mosaru Kudike Utsava or Sri Krishna Leelotsava, the celebrations were led by Paryaya Shiroor Mutt seer Sri Vedavardhana Thirtha Swamiji at the Sri Krishna Temple and Car Street. More than 40 tiger dance teams participated in the festivities this year, performing at Sri Krishna Mutt, Car Street, and several other parts of the city. Women and children also joined the dancers, with a women’s tiger dance troupe emerging as one of the major attractions.Performers dressed as tigers, demons and other characters made their way through the main streets, dancing to the beats of taase and other traditional instruments. Large crowds gathered along the streets to watch the performances, with many visitors stopping to click photographs and selfies with the artistes.A troupe dressed as chickens was among the more unusual attractions. Its quirky antics and distinctive dance moves kept spectators, particularly children, amused and drew loud cheers from the crowd.The celebrations also carried a social message. Two performers dressed as mosquitoes used their act to create awareness about malaria and other communicable diseases.A lookalike dressed as Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay generated considerable excitement among visitors.Meanwhile, devotees began thronging the Sri Krishna Temple from early morning to seek the blessings of Sri Krishna and participate in the traditional and cultural events. The wrestling event in front of Shiroor Mutt drew large crowds, while a series of bhajans was held at Rajangana.Food was an integral part of the celebrations, with anna prasada served to devotees. Organisers estimated that prasada was prepared for around 25,000 people. As it was a Shravan Saturday, many devotees preferred to sit on the floor and eat in the traditional style.The Sri Krishna Mutt and Paryaya Shiroor Mutt also arranged free buttermilk distribution in front of Pejawar Mutt to help devotees beat the heat. Around 1.5 lakh chakulis and 1.5 lakh undes were prepared for distribution. Five varieties of unde were made, with each variety prepared in batches of around 30,000.
