BELLARY: "Mylara Jatra", one of the biggest fairs in north Karnataka, will be held on Sunday at the local temple dedicated to Shiva in his form as Mailari, the diety of the Kuruba community.

The three-day fair is famous for the "karnika" — a ceremony on the final day at which a shepherd utters a word or a sentence that is believed to indicate the future for the year.

Mylara is located in the extreme south-western corner of Hadagali taluk of the district, and is two km from the Tungabhadra river and 33 km from Hadagali town.

According to legend, a demon called Mallasura and his brother, having performed severe penance and got Brahma to promise that they would never be harmed by any human being, began to harass the "rishis" (sages). The rishis then appealed to Shiva to protect them. So he took on a new form and, taking with him seven crore of his forces, warred with the demon and his brother for ten days and slew them with his bow and arrows.

Nearly five lakh pilgrims from different parts of the State are expected to attend the festival-cum-fair. As part of the ritual, they will go about chanting "elukoti", meaning "seven crore".

A ten-foot-long wooden bow will be set up to symbolise the bow that Shiva used to slay Mallasura. Special buses have been arranged at all taluk headquarters in the district for pilgrims wishing to participate in the fair.

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