The 'Mangaluru Dasara' celebrations were inaugurated Sunday by Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy at Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwara temple here.
The Chief Minister lit the lamp to mark the inauguration of the 10-day festivities.
Later, Kumaraswamy sought the blessings of Nava Durgas and also performed the 'Aarti' of Goddess Sharada.
A huge number of devotees and tourists thronged the Kudroli temple.
The festival would conclude with the immersion of idols in the temple pond, Pushkarani on the seventh day.
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