About Bangalore Fairs & Festivals :
If you want to see the cultural life of Bangalore, make sure to be in the city when its numerous fairs and festivals are celebrated. Some of these fairs and festivals are exclusive to the city, while, some of them are celebrated throughout the state. These major fairs and festivals bring out the traditional side of the modern people of Bangalore. The following lines provide more information about the festivals and fairs of Bengalooru, India.
Karaga Festival :
The Karaga festival is celebrated in the month of March-April. Karaga is the name given to an earthen pot, which symbolizes Shakti. Devotees place a karaga on their heads and join in the procession taken out at night. The procession comes to an end at the Sampangi tank, where all the pots are immersed in water. It is believed that balancing the pot on the head is like a test through which the strength of a person’s character is tested. In the main temple procession, a priest, dressed up as woman, undertakes the same procedure.
Kadalekaye Parishe (Peanut Festival) :
Kadalekaye Parishe, also known as Peanut festival, falls in the month of November. It is held in order to celebrate the first groundnut crop of the year. As a part of the celebrations, the farmers of the city visit the Bull temple to seek blessings of God.
Makara Sankranthi (Pongal) :
The festival of Makara Sankranthi, also known as Pongal, is celebrated in all the states of South India. The festival marks the onset of spring season and with it, the commencement of the harvest season.
Ganesh Chaturthi :
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as a commemoration of the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha. It falls in the month of September and is celebrated throughout the country.
Dussehra :
The festival of Dussehra is celebrated all over the country, including the state of Karnataka. It falls in the month of October-November and marks the victory of good over evil.
Diwali festival is celebrated in the month of October-November. On this day, people worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha and seek blessings of prosperity.
Mahashivratri :
Mahashivratri is the festival dedicated to Lord Shiva. It falls in the Hindu month of Magha and is celebrated throughout India. On this day, devotees visit the nearest Lord Shiva temple and offer Panchamrit (mixture of five sacred elements), fruits and sacred leaves to the Shiva Lingam.
Ugadi :
Ugadi festival marks the beginning of the Kannad New Year, along with the advent of spring season. It falls in the second half of March or first half of April and is mainly devoted to Lord Brahma. The day begins with a ritual bath, early in the morning, and comes to an end with prayers that continue late into the night. It is believed that Lord Brahma created the world on this day only. Another popular belief related to Ugadi is that on this day, Lord Vishnu took an incarnation in the form of Matsya.
Varamahalakshmi :
Varamahalakshmi or the Lakshmi Puja is celebrated in the month of August, throughout the state of Karnataka. The Puja dates back to the Vedic age and is mainly performed by the married females. They offer garlands of cash, jewelry and other valuables to the Goddess and pray for the prosperity and happiness of their husband and their family. After the performance of the puja, they offer vermilion (kum-kum) to at least five other married ladies.
General Information about Bangalore:
Location: Bangalore
State: Karnataka
Capital: Bangalore
Language: Kannada, Malayalam, English
Temperature: Max 30˚C, Min 21˚C (summer), Max 21˚C, Min 11˚C (winter)
Best Season: November to April
How to Reach Bangalore:
By Air:
Bangalore International Airport is 40 km away from the heart of the city, Majestic. It costs about Rs 300 by auto rickshaw and Rs 600 by taxi. Pre paid taxi facilities are available in Airport. Bangalore airport is well connected to almost all airports in India. International flights to major foreign cities are also operated from Bangalore. Regular flights operate from Bangalore to prominent Indian cities. The airport houses booking offices of international airlines and there are direct international flights to Sharjah, Muscat and Singapore.
By Rail:
Bangalore Majestic, Bangalore Cantonment (8 km to Majestic) and Yeshwanthpur (10 km away from Majestic) are the three main stations in Bangalore. Bangalore Majestic is connected to all major cities in India. Bangalore is well connected to the rest of the country both by meter gauge and broad gauge rail services. It is an important railway station on the southern railway network.
By Road:
KSRTC buses connect all cities in the state to Bangalore. Many super deluxe bus services are available from Bangalore to Hyderabad, Cochin, Trivandrum, Chennai, Mumbai, Goa and Mysore. National Highways NH 4, NH 7, and NH 48 connect Bangalore to some of India’s major cities. The Kempegowda Bus Stand is the Central Bus Stand, with buses plying all over Karnataka and other states. Various State Transport Corporations and private bus operators conduct interstate bus services to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Pondicherry and Goa.
Bangalore to Be Renamed As Bengaluru:
Bangalore, according to state historians, got its name from Bendakalooru (the town of boiled beans) after a king strayed into the area during a hunting trip in the late 14th century. A woman offered him a meal of boiled beans which the king enjoyed so much that he named the town after the dish. Bengaluru is a transliteration of the original spelling, according to state historians.