Kalaburagi all set to witness historic Sharanabasaveshwar Jathra
KALABURAGI: Historic Kalaburagi city is all set to witness the famous Sharanabasaveshwara Rathotsava and annual Jathra commemorating the 202nd Punya Thithi (Death Anniversary) of the 18th Century Saint and Social Reformer Lord Sharnabasaveshwara in the sprawling Sharanabasaveshwar Shrine and the adjoining Jathra Ground on Saturday.
Kalaburagi city known for the confluence of the “Sufi-Santa philosophy” housing the famed Sharanabasaveshwara Shrine where the mortal remains of Lord Sharanabasaveshwara is enshrined in the tomb which forms the main deity for thousands of devotees who pay their obeisance every day and the Khaja Banda Nawaz Dargah housing the tomb in which the mortal remains of the famed Sufi Saint Khaja Banda Nawaz is enshrined will be witnessing yet another edition of the Rathotsava and the annual jathra in the beginning of the season of spring.
Saint Sharanabasaveshwar, who spent his entire life for the welfare of the people and fulfilling the needs of the poor and deprived sections of the society, had predicted his death, five days after the Holi celebrations and on the same day as predicted the saint breathed his last in the Dasoha Mahamane. This day is observed as auspicious day by the devotees by fasting throughout the day and performs poojas and partake specially prepared dishes including sweets after the Rathotsava in the premises of the Sharanabasaveshwar Shrine. (Death is glorified and celebrated by the Lingayats as salvation and death anniversaries of the religious heads are particularly celebrated as a festival by the devotees).
Tens of thousands of devotees cutting across religious and caste barriers from all over the state and neighboring Maharasthra and Andhra Pradesh converge in Kalaburagi City to be part of the Jathra Mahotsava.
The ardent devotees of the Saint Sharanabasaveshwar walk miles together from their respective villages from far off places in the neighboring districts including Raichur, Vijayapura, Bidar, Ballari, Yadgir and bordering districts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to fulfill their wishes and pay their obeisance to the saint who had set an example of selfless service and who was a beacon of hope and salvation for his devotees during his life time.
The Rathotsava is preceded by the “Uchai” (Utsav) in which a colorfully decorated small rath is drawn around the shrine marking the death anniversaries of other Peetathipathis of the Samasthan. In the evening fireworks light up the sky around the temple as part of the celebrations.
The celebrations also reveal a unique quality imbibed by the Saint in the minds of the people to help the people in needy. On the Jathra day every house in Kalaburagi city becomes a dasoha mane by providing shelter and food to the devotees visiting the city and the sprawling sharanabasaveshwar shrine is also used by the devotees from the far and near to stay overnight to participate in the Jathra celebrations.
Special arrangements are made in the shrine complex for the devotees to complete their morning abulations. The hungry stomachs of the devotees are filled up in the Dasoha Mahamane where special arrangements are made to serve the special food (Prasada) to all the devotees visiting the shrine to participate in the Rathotsava.
Traditional rituals including the presentation of the specially prepared “Nevidya” consisting of the “Huli Bana”, a special dish prepared out of the freshly harvested Jawar, which is cooked and mixed with fresh curd made out of cow’s milk and adding other ingredients. This dish which is prepared following all the religious traditions is carried over the head by a specially appointed person for the task. This person with the Hulibana over his head would go around the Ratha (Car) for five times before the Ratha is drawn and after the return of the Ratha to its original place after going around the shrine complex, the huli bana is distributed among the devotees.
As part of the Rathotsava a ten-day long Jathra is organized in the Jathra Ground in which the traders from different parts of the country would be exhibiting their wares and a special enclosure is reserved for the entertainment and fun and frolic for the children.