Kolluru: Over 3,000 Children initiated to learning on Vijayadashami Day

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision media Network

Kolluru, 25 oct 2012: The premises of the famous Mokambika temple at Kolluru resembled mini Kerala as a large number of devotees from Kerala had come to worship the goddess on the occasion of the Dassehra festival on Wednesday, October 24, 2012.

 

Wednesday being the last day of the Vijayadashami, parents had brought  their children to initiate them into education in front of goddess Mokambika. The programme that had started early in the morning continued till afternoon. Over three thousand small children were initiated to learning by making them to write the first letter. Among these children nearly three-fourths were from Kerala.

 

 

There is a strong belief that those children who are being initiated to education in front of the goddess Mokambika would shine in their studies and achieve greater success. As such year after year, the number of parents initiating their children to education in the Kolluru temple has steadily increased.

 

As the rituals begin early in the morning at 4 am, many parents from distant places like Kerala arrive at the temple on the previous day and spend the night in the temple premises. Following the morning worship the ritual of initiating the children into learning takes place in the Saraswati Mantap.

 

Sitting on the lap of father, the child is made to write the name of god through the index finger of the right hand on the rice spread over the plate (hariwana). Thereafter the priest with the silver ring writes the main letter of ‘Omkara’.

 

Besides from Kerala, it has been found that devotees  from other neighbouring states such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnaadu also come to Kolluru for this ritual.  Though the number of the people from Karnataka following this ritual was less earlier, over the years the number of Kannadigas intiating their children to learning in Kolluru temple has also increased.