Makara Sankranti or Makara Sankramana, the feast of celebration of the beginning of Uttarayana (migration of Sun from Dhanu Rashi to Makara Rashi), was celebrated with religious fervour in Udupi on Friday.
The festival is celebrated with religious grandeur at Sri Krishna Temple because on this day, Dwaitha philosopher and one of the three ‘Great Acharyas’, Sri Madhwacharya installed the Saligramashila (black stone) idol of Lord Sri Krishna over 800 years ago and also installed Ashta Mutt (Eight Mutts) with eight ‘Bala Sanyasis’ to perform Sri Krishna puja by pontiffs for every two months on a rotational basis.
Every year, a seven-day ‘Rathotsava’ is held in Udupi, to commemorate the installation of Lord Sri Krishna.
A majority of the pontiffs from Ashta Mutt participated in this colourful festival, as the idols of Lord Sri Krishna, Lord Mukhyaprana and Lord Chandramouleeshwar and Sri Anantheshwar were taken in the various Rathas.
As part of the seven-day festival, ‘Choornotsav’, the daylight car festival, will be held on Saturday, with the clay idol of the presiding deity, Lord Krishna being taken in ‘Bramharatha’.
After the procession, the clay statue will be immersed in Madhwa Sarovar and the pontiffs along with devotees will take a symbolic plunge.