Karnataka’s calendar is filled with colour and devotion, from the world-famous Mysore Dasara with its caparisoned elephants and Jamboo Savari procession to Ugadi, the Kannada New Year. The state celebrates Ganesha Chaturthi, Makara Sankranti, the ancient Bengaluru Karaga, Kambala buffalo races on the coast, and countless temple jatres and harvest festivals rooted in local tradition. This section explores the history, rituals, significance and timing behind each celebration — the stories that give them meaning and the customs that bring communities together — so you can understand and experience the living culture of Karnataka through its festivals.
Here are a few important festivals of Karnataka:
Table of Contents
Ganesha Chaturthi
In the months of August-September, one can witness hundreds of rath yathras on the streets of Karnataka. The 10-day festival is celebrated from the Shukla Chaturthi that lasts till the Anantha Chaturdashi. The streets will be clad with wax and clay models of Ganesha, and people will offer their prayers to the idols.
The 10 days are celebrated with great percussion and poojas, with hundreds of people witnessing it. The prasadam offered here is the modak.
The Pooja continues for 9 days till the last day of Visarjan, which is celebrated with great pomp and mind-blowing percussion and processions. For Visarjan, the Ganapati is taken to a riverside and then immersed in the water.
Hampi Festival or Vijaya Utsava
The festival is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of an ancient poet, Purandaradasa. This festival of Karnataka lasts for 3 days. Vijaya Utsava falls in the month of October or November and is celebrated in Hampi as a grand commemoration.
Being a poet’s birthday, the festival is more like showcasing the art and talents of the Kannadigas. The festival is usually accompanied by performances by artists showcasing music, dance and art. Hampi, being the cultural centre in Karnataka, celebrates these kinds of festivals with great pomp, honouring all the artists.
Vijaya Utsava is conducted in the architectural ruins of Hampi on well-decorated stages with the amazing backgrounds of the ruins. The stage hosts multiple shows, with various prominent and upcoming stars.
Gowri Festival
The festival is celebrated a day before Ganesh Chaturthi to pay tribute to the Goddess Gowri for her power to bestow strength and valour on people. It is widely celebrated all over India. It is believed that Goddess Gowri returns to her home on that day like a married woman, and the next day Lord Ganesha comes to take her back home.
During the Pooja, Goddess Gowri is offered a bagina, which contains kum kum, turmeric, a small mirror, a comb, bangles, dal, rice, and coconut.
Karaga Festival
Karaga is a folk dance performed as a tribute to Draupadi. The ritual is an old festival conducted in Bangalore. The legend says that in the last portion of the Mahabharata, Draupadi took the form of the Shakti goddess and created soldiers called the veerakumaras to deal with a demon called Tripusara. As Draupadi couldn’t stay for long, she promised to visit her devotees every first full moon as per the Hindu Calendar.
During this festival in Karnataka, rich meals are served. A Karaga carrier, a male dressed up as a female, all covered in flowers, walks to meet the Veerakumaras in the Holy deity form. The mystery inside the Karaga is still not known, yet the carrier balances it well. At the end of the festival, the Karaga returns to the temple.
Pattadakal Dance Festival
The Pattadakal festival is conducted to honour the famous temples every year in the month of January. This festival of Karnataka is decked up with the performances of the traditional dancers of the state. Along with these grand celebrations, the craft festival is indeed an attention-grabbing one.
The Pattadakal village is located around 20 kms from Badami in the state of Karnataka. Pattadakal was the second capital of the Chalukyas and has some marvellous constructions. The village is famous for the architectural temples that flaunt the splendid carvings and structures. Most of the temples here are devoted to Lord Shiva. The temples of Virupaksha and Mallikarjuna are located here.
Mahamastakabhisheka at Shravanabelagola
Karnataka is also a state that celebrates religious diversity. Shravanabelagola is a major Jain centre in Karnataka. The Jain festival Mahamastakabhisheka is celebrated with equal pomp and grandeur in Karnataka. Once every 12 years, the festival takes place with the function of the statue. The statue of Siddha Bahubali is around 17.3736 meters tall.
First, the people who come to the festival are sprinkled with blessed holy water and anointed with the statue’s unction. Many offerings are given to the statue, and the statue is bathed in milk, saffron paste, sugarcane juice, sandalwood powder, etc. The Jain nuns must climb up the stairs to reach the top of the statue. At the end of the celebration, the statue is showered with flowers from the helicopter.
Kambala Festival
Splashing the mud and racing across the fields, the roaring buffaloes raced by a man are an interesting watch. On the first day of Kambala, a parade is conducted with all the buffaloes. The buffaloes are pegged against each other before the race. The festival is believed to be conducted in honour of Lord Kadri Manjunatheshwara to seek blessings for a better harvest. The festival is usually conducted for two days. The sport is mainly conducted by farmers. This local festival of Karnataka is a must-watch. Plan your trip to Mangalore during the Kambala race.
Ugadi
The festival symbolises the New Year for Kannadigas. The term Ugadi means new (uge) beginning (adi) or the beginning of the new age. As it is the New Year, people buy and wear new clothes, deck up houses and streets and welcome the New Year with great joy and prayers.
Sankranti or Pongal
Sankranti is Pongal celebrated in Karnataka in the month of January. On this day, people offer Pooja to cattle and feed them. On this day, a special dish called Pongal is prepared and offered to God. The decorated cattle with powerful costumes and painted horns are then made to jump over a bonfire to commemorate the festival. A cattle procession is also conducted.
On Makar Sankranti, people enjoy Kite flying. The festival of Makar Sankranti is conducted as a four-day-long festival: Bhogi festival, Kanu festival and Kanum Pongal festival.
Vairamudi Festival
In the temple of Cheluvanarayana located in Melkote, on the third day of Brahmotsavam, the Vairamudi festival is celebrated. On this day, the statue of Cheluvaraswamy is adorned with diamond-studded ornaments and a crown that are brought from the Mysore Palace. The festival is usually in the month of March-April and is preceded by a colourful procession.
Karnataka Rajyotsava
The day Karnataka state was formed is celebrated with great grandeur by the people of Karnataka on November 1st every year. This festival of Karnataka is celebrated by people with great enthusiasm. Various Kannada language promotional and cultural activities are conducted during the month of November.
Dussera
It is a 10-day-long festival of Karnataka that is conducted in the city of Mysore with pomp and glory. The Mysore Palace is all decked up and well lit. The cultural extravaganza is witnessed by thousands of people. The well-lit city, all decked up to celebrate the Dussera festival, is a must-visit. Dance, bands, etc. accompany the processions in the streets. This festival of Karnataka is usually celebrated in October. On the day of Ayudha Pooja, everyone offers Pooja to their tools and seeks blessings from the Goddess Durga.
Vara Mahalakshmi Pooja
The goddess of wealth, Mahalakshmi, is worshipped by Kannadigas on this special occasion. To attain health and wealth, the people offer poojas and offerings to Goddess Lakshmi. It is also for the long life of husbands that married women conduct the Pooja. It falls on the Shravanmasa.
