Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Many take part in car festival

Special Correspondent

GULBARGA: All roads led to the famous Sharanabasaveshwar Temple in Gulbarga on Friday with a large number of people from different parts of the country participating in the car festival in memory of the 185th death anniversary of 18th century saint Sharanabasaveshwar.

People paid their obeisance to the mortal remains of the saint who had spent his life in the service of the needy.

When the eighth peetathipathi of the Sharanabasaveshwar Samasthan Poojya Sharanabasawappa Appa made his appearance on a special pedestal and exhibited the "Prasada Battalu" an "Lingasajjike" signalling the beginning of the car festival, the flower bedecked car was pulled by the enthusiastic crowd.

Devout followers of the saint fast the entire day and break it only after the temple car reaches its original spot.

The saint, born in Aralagundigi village in Jewargi taluk, was an ordinary mortal till his life changed during his tour of Basavakalyan where he saw people perishing due to famine in the region.

Chairman of National Human Rights Commission Shivaraj Patil, Agriculture Marketing Minister Sharanabasappa Dharshanapur and Animal Husbandry Minister Revu Naik witnessed the car festival.

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Many take part in car festival

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