This temple town, though dogged by controversy regarding the biennial Parayaya festival, was nevertheless dolled up for the occasion.
Scores of people flocked the town and enjoyed the festivities and attended the street plays and folk dances. They also had a taste of Udupi delicacies.
The town had not slept the whole night and participated in the last choornotsava of the Paryaya, when three giant Rathas—Brahma Ratha, Garuda Ratha and Sanna Ratha— were drawn by hundreds of devotees. For the last time in the paryaya period, all the four metallic rathas— including bronze, silver, gold and diamond—were drawn around the Car street.
At Badagu Malige, mounds of vegetables were being cut for the first meal of the Paryaya 2012-14.
An army of vegetable cutters were busy chopping vegetables brought in by devotees from all parts of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. The temple kitchens were abuzz with activity as 20,000 devotees had to be fed.
While the people were in festive mood, the factions of swamijis were trying to bring a semblance of unity among themselves.
