Karnataka to Launch Cauvery Aarti: A Symbol of Cultural and Religious Significance

Karnataka to Launch Cauvery Aarti: A Symbol of Cultural and Religious Significance

Sub : Geo

Sec: Mapping

Why in News

The Karnataka government is set to launch a symbolic Cauvery Aarti at Srirangapatna on October 3, 2024, during the first day of the Dasara celebrations. Inspired by the famous Ganga Aarti at Varanasi and Haridwar, this initiative aims to promote religious tourism and strengthen the cultural connection with the Cauvery River.

The Cauvery River

The Cauvery River (Kaveri) is designated as the ‘Dakshina Ganga’ or ‘the Ganga of the South’.

The Cauvery River rises at an elevation of 1,341 m at Talakaveri on the Brahmagiri range near Cherangala village of Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka.

The total length of the river from origin to an outfall is 800 km.

It flows in a southeasterly direction for 705 km through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and descends the Eastern Ghats in a series of great falls.

Left Bank:  Harangi,  Hemavati, Shimsha, and Arkavati.

Right Bank: Lakshmantirtha,Kabbani,  Suvarnavati, Bhavani,Noyil, andAmaravati joins from the right.

At Hogennekkal Falls, it takes a Southerly direction and enters the Mettur Reservoir.

A tributary called Bhavani joins Cauvery on the Right bank about 45 Kms below Mettur Reservoir. Thereafter it enters the plains of Tamil Nadu.

Two more tributaries Noyil and Amaravathi join on the right bankand here the river widens with a sandy bed and flows as ‘Akhanda Cauvery

Many projects were completed in this basin whichIncluded Krishnarajasagar in Karnataka, Mettur dam and Cauvery delta system in Tamil Nadu. LowerBhavani, Hemavati, Harangi, Kabini are important projects completed during the plan period.

Dasara Festival

Mysore Dasara is the “Nadahabha” or the state festival of Karnataka. It is celebrated for 10 days and concludes with Vijayadashami.

In Mysuru, Dasara marks the slaying of demon Mahishasura by Goddess Chamundeshwari and symbolises the triumph of good over evil.

The world-famous JambooSavari (Mysore Dasara procession)is held on the street of Mysore city on Vijayadashami. It starts from the Mysore palace and culminates at a place called

The idol of the Goddess chamundeshwari, which is placed on a golden mantapa on the top of a decorated elephant.

Though the festival is celebrated across India, Dasara in Mysuru is a legacy of the Vijayanagar emperors who ruled between the 14 th and 17 th centuries.

The grandeur of the Navaratri as celebrated by the Vijayanagar rulers have been described by medieval travellers like Abdur Razzak of Persia, who visited Vijayanagar between 1442 and 1443; Domingo Paes (1520-22) and FernaoNuniz(1535-37) from Portugal, who have given eyewitness accounts of the ‘’great feast of Bisnaga’ (for Vijayanagar).