Mangaluru: The famous ‘Mangaluru Dasara’ celebrations were inaugurated by former union minister B Janardhana Poojary  at Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwara temple on Sunday, October 6 at around 6.30 pm

Poojary lit the lamp to mark the inauguration of the festivities. Later, Poojary sought the blessings of Nava Durgas and also performed the ‘Aarti’ of Goddess Sharada. A huge number of devotees and tourists thronged the Kudroli temple.

The festival will conclude with the procession of the idols on October 8 and its immersion in the temple pond, Pushkarani on October 9.