The Ravutaraya-Malayaya Jatrotsava, Devar Hipparagi,Vijayapura

Devara Hipparagi is a town in the Vijayapura (Bijapur) district of Karnataka. The town is known for its sacred and ancient temples which number around 40. The most important of these temples are the Ravutaraya temple and the Mallayya temple. The Ravutaraya-Mallayya Jatrotsava or annual fair of the historic town is a famous celebration that has been going on for more than a thousand years. Thousands and thousands of devotees gather for this annual fair from far and wide in Devara Hipparagi town. The festival is spread over 5 days and begins on the 12th day (Dvadashi) of the lunar calendar, after Vijayadashmi. The highlight of the fair is a procession of the deity Ravutaraya from the Ravutaraya temple to the Mallayya temple. It is a grand procession with devotees offering flowers and garlands. An interesting aspect is that the devotees have undertaken a padayatra to collect the flowers and offer them to the deity. There is loud cheering and dancing with devotees from far and wide participating enthusiastically. The procession then circumambulates at a Banni tree before entering the Mallayya temple. According to tradition, the wedding ceremony of Ravutaraya and Gangemalammar takes place here. The historical significance of the fair and the celestial wedding is found in the Sanskrit text Mallari Mahatme. According to this reference, Ravutaraya was known as Marthanda Bhairava. It was Lord Shiva himself, who incarnated as Marthanda Bhairava to kill the evil Mani Mallasuras. He assumed the form of a horse and killed Mani Mallasura. His mother was Gange Malamma, also known as Ghee Malamma. The ancient temple of Mallayya is the centre of the entire fair and has some ancient relics. These include a 70 feet high lamp post known as Mahalagumb or Deepasthambh which is believed to be of the period of Adil Shah. There is also an ancient Tamarind tree which is almost a thousand years old. A visit to Devara Hipparagi during the Ravutaraya-Mallayya Jatrotsava is a walk back in history. It is an experience that connects you with the ancient heritage and culture of the region.