Thousands of kids participated in Vidyarambha, a religious ritual marking the initiation of imparting education, at Mookambika Temple, Kollur, in Udupi district on Wednesday.
Over 15,000 devotees gathered on the occasion of Vijayadashami to be blessed by goddess Mookambika.
The ‘Vidyarambha’ began at 4 am and went on till noon. Children below the age of four sat on the laps of their parents and were made to write on rice kept in a tray at Saraswati Mantap in front of the temple. The priest wrote ‘Om’ on their tongues using the golden ring of their respective parents.
‘Navanna Prashana,’ a sacred ritual marking the feeding of rice to children was also held at 12.30 pm. Thousands of devotees participated in the Rathotsava held on Tuesday evening and collected prasadam, which was followed by cultural programmes.