Devotees offer garland of slippers at Gola temple in Karnataka

The festival is organised every year on Panchami after Diwali wherein people from far away areas come to Shri Lakkamma Devi temple to offer a pair of slippers, along with coconut and flowers.

Kalaburagi (Karnataka):In a unique festival in Karnataka, a garland of slippers is offered by devotees as a part of the ritual in Shri Lakkamma Devi temple located in Gola B village in Aland taluk of the Kalaburagi district. The festival is conducted every year on Panchami after Diwali wherein people from far away places come to offer a pair of slippers, along with coconut and flowers. Devotees believe that the Goddess is satisfied only after offering a pair of slippers. The slippers offered by the devotees are tied in front of the temple to fulfil their wishes. This tradition has been practised for many years in the district.

Goddess Lakkamma Devi is worshipped not only in Karnataka, but also in the neighbouring states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. While vegetarian devotees offer Holige (traditional flatbread), non-vegetarian devotees sacrifice sheep and hens to Goddess. The ritual ends when the wooden urns and bronze urns reach the temple through a procession from the village.

"People pay obeisance to Goddess Lakkamma Devi to fulfil their wishes. The number of devotees is increasing every year. People from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu come to this festival," said Iranna, a local. "The festival is celebrated at the end of Panchami. About 40,000 devotees from faraway places come to celebrate the festival. The Goddess fulfils the wishes of devotees. Goddess Lakkamma is an incarnation of Kali. The slippers offered by the devotees are tied in front of the temple," said a local resident Mallannagowda.