Shivamogga: The historic Kote Marikamba Jatra, a grand biennial festival, commenced with great religious fervour on Tuesday.The five-day extravaganza, which attracts devotees from across the state, will continue until the end of the month. As per tradition, the idol of Goddess Marikamba was installed in front of the Nadiga family residence at Gandhi Bazaar at around 7 am, marking the formal beginning of the public darshan.Devotees began lining up as early as 3am to catch a glimpse of the deity. By dawn, the queue already stretched over 2 km. To manage the massive influx, authorities implemented a systematic entry-exit plan using barricades.The first puja was performed by the Nadiga family from BB Road, after which the curtains were drawn amid thunderous chants of “Jai Marikamba” from the gathered crowd. Thousands of women were seen offering ‘madalakki’—a traditional offering of rice and coconut—seeking the goddess’s blessings.Despite the introduction of VIP passes, the general crowd remained overwhelming. Volunteers and a large police contingent were deployed throughout the Gandhi Bazaar stretch to maintain order and prevent any untoward incidents as the “sea of devotees” continued to swell. With the festival set to run until month-end, local authorities anticipate that this year’s turnout may surpass previous records.
