Traffic in City Market to be affected on account of Karaga festival

The annual Dharmarayana Karaga procession is happening on April 3rd and 4th. Here are the traffic diversions in place.

A huge crowd in front of the Dharmarayaswamy temple, this is the only entrance path used by the Veerakumaras and other followers. There were people as far as the eyes could see. People were on almost top of every balcony and roof. Pic: Amoghavarsha JS

The annual Dharmarayana Karaga is scheduled to start on April 3rd, 8 pm and will go on till April 4th, 8 pm. More than 18 pallakis will be coming in from different parts of the city. 

Here are the traffic diversions in place during the procession.

  • The ramp in front of City Market will be closed to traffic. People going towards Avenue Road can go up to Town Hall junction, take a U-turn and at City Market, take a right turn and proceed to Avenue/SJP Road
  • Vehicles coming from Briand Square towards City Market can take this route: Briand Square – Rayan Circle – Minto Circle – Makkala Koota – Shivashankar – Basappa Circle – Minerva Circle – JC Road – Town Hall on to Majestic
  • Vehicles coming from South Bangalore should use: National College – Diagonal Road – Sajjan Rao Road – Minerva Circle – JC Road – Town Hall – Majestic, instead of: Gandhi Bazaar – National College – KR Road – SJP Road – Town Hall – Majestic

About Dharmarayana Karaga 

The Karaga is one of the oldest festivals in Karnataka and draws lakhs of people to the Dharmarayaswamy Temple each year. The temple in Thigalarpet is the focal point of the festival. 

The Vanikula Kshatriya Thigala community worship Adishakti Draupadi as their community deity. The nine-day Karaga festival is observed by them in reverence to the Goddess. They believe that Draupadi Shakti (power) brims over during the Karaga festival. The Karaga carrier is dressed as a female and is symbolic of Draupadi.

Also read:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Pre-poll report card: Citizens raise concerns over urban planning and governance gaps

As the Assembly elections near, residents across Chennai flag zoning violations, poor urban planning amid rapid growth.

As cities grow rapidly, traffic, buildings, and loss of green cover inevitably follow. In 1974, the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) covered 1,189 sq. km; by 2022, it had expanded to 5,904 sq. km, bringing with it challenges of governance. Gaps in governance are foremost on the minds of the 28.3 lakh Chennai voters set to elect their Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on April 23rd. The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government made 505 promises in 2021, of which it claims to have met 80%. But as residents and citizen groups come up with their manifestos ahead of the April…

Similar Story

In Bengaluru’s Kogilu Layout, evictions create another housing crisis for the city

Months after the Kogilu demolitions, displaced residents still live in tents, citing lack of prior notice and delays in promised rehabilitation.

On December 20, 2025, families in Kogilu Layout, Yelahanka, awoke to the sound of bulldozers and their homes being razed. Vessels, bedding, school bags, medicines, and documents lay scattered around or broken. While official figures state that 167 structures were removed, residents and petitioners report higher numbers.  Beside the rubble, families assembled tarpaulin shelters. Residents say that for several days, makeshift solutions for water, toilets, and electricity were arranged and civil society groups provided temporary relief.  Residents and civil-society groups also allege that there was no written notice before the pre-dawn demolitions. In the aftermath, it is unclear where people slept…