FESTIVALS
India is a land of Festivals. With colors and glare and roars all around, festivals are celebrated very loud here. Major proportions of the population being Hindu, most of the Hindu festivals are celebrated here. The best time to visit the city is during Dussera. It is a 10day festival celebrated during end of September and beginning of October. Though this festival is celebrated throughout the country but the pomp with which it is celebrated here is just amazing.

Another important festival celebrated here is Karaga Festival that is celebrated in the month of April. It is time to worship Draupadi, daughter of goddess of Fire. People balance pots over their head to test their character. The festival of the Karaga is awaited by hundreds of bare chested, dhoti-clad and turbaned veerakumaras (brave youth) brandishing named swords. Only a member of the Tigala community can be a veerakumara. Fire-walking, these young men dance around while striking their blades against their bare chests. If blood should ooze out, it is considered an indication of the veerakumara's failure to adhere to the ritualistic formalities required for the occasion. Amidst fire walking and frenzied dancing, the Karaga carrier emerges from the temple, surrounded by the these men the Karaga balanced on his head. For the Karaga carrier, the swords have a menacing significance because by tradition they are supposed to stab the Karanga carrier if he loses balance and falls. Fortunately, this has never happened in the long history of this festival.

The Kadalekeya Parishe festival is marked as harvest festival in Bangalore. It is celebrated at Bull Temple with a groundnut competition in the month of Nov-Dec. Farmers offer their first harvest to Nandi, the Bull.

Makara Sankranthi or Pongal
It is known in the South, is celebrated to mark the beginning of the harvest season. People believe that the first rays of the sun on Sankranthi will bring them a good harvest. It is also celebrated to mark the change of seasons from winter to spring.

Ganesh Chaturthi
It is celebrated in September all over the world, the day before Swarna Gowri.

Dussehra
The pride of Karnataka's festivals is Dussehra. It is a celebration that lasts for ten days. The rulers of Vijayanagara Empire used to celebrate Dussehra with remarkable brilliance. The rulers of Mysore continued the tradition. The Maharaja of Mysore used to hold a Durbar for 9 days and on the 10th day went in a procession on a caparisoned elephant. With the ending of the royal rule, a picture of Bhuvaneshwari, the patron goddess of Karnataka, is taken out in procession. It is a unique and significant festival of the Hindus.

Yugadi
The Kannadiga New Year day of Yugadi falls on the second half of March or early April is celebrated with devotion and delight. This day is considered very auspicious to start new ventures. The festival begins with ritual bath and prayers and continues till late night. It is generally held that Brahma created the world on this day. Also Lord Vishnu is said to incarnate himself, as Matsya.Brahma is the chief deity worshipped this day. Ugadi also signifies the advent of spring with colorful blossoms, green fields all heralding a new beginning. The vibrancy of life signifying growth, prosperity and well-being filling the hearts of people with joy and contentment. On Ugadi the predictions are made for the New Year among the chanting of mantras. The preparations are made a week ahead with houses given a thorough wash and shopping for new clothes. People also decorate the entrance of their houses with fresh mango leaves and draw colorful floral designs in front of the houses. The women prepare special dishes to mark the occasion.