Koppal's Sri Gavisiddheshwara Jatra Wraps Up with Grand Celebrations
The Sri Gavisiddheshwara Jatra in Koppal concluded on Sunday, January 18. This vibrant festival drew nearly two lakh devotees to the town. The celebrations kicked off on January 1 and continued with great enthusiasm.
Community Feeding and Culinary Highlights
The community feeding event, known as Dasoha, ended after midnight on the final day. Organizers made the occasion memorable by serving a massive 85 quintals of godi huggi. This sweet dish is a beloved traditional treat in North Karnataka.
Rajendra Kumar Shettar, who oversees the dasoha, shared insights into the preparation. "Preparing 85 quintals of godi huggi is quite a challenge. Grinding 50 quintals of jaggery for it was particularly difficult," he said.
Innovative Method for Jaggery Grinding
For the past ten years, organizers have used a unique method to simplify the jaggery grinding process. They lay a tarpaulin on the road and place jaggery lumps on it. Then, they cover it with another tarpaulin. Finally, they use a road roller to grind the jaggery efficiently.
The ingredients for the godi huggi included:
- 85 quintals of wheat
- 50 quintals of jaggery
- 25 quintals of ground wheat
- 10 quintals of other ingredients like chickpeas and coconut
All these components were cooked in eleven large vessels. The preparation started at midnight on Saturday. Over four hundred chefs from Haligeri and Mainalli villages participated in cooking all the food.
Record Devotee Turnout and Free Meals
Basavaraj Purad, another coordinator, provided details about the devotee numbers. Approximately two lakh devotees arrived on Sunday alone. More than 150 quintals of rice were used to feed everyone.
The Sri Gavisiddheshwara fair has been attracting more devotees each year. This year marked a significant milestone. For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, an estimated twenty lakh devotees attended the fair.
It is also noteworthy that all attendees received free meals during the event. This tradition of hospitality continues to draw large crowds to the annual jatra.
