BENGALURU: The Sun beams its grace down on Bettahalsoor, a tranquil village 25km from Bengaluru, as a long column of devotees waits to enter the agnikund, eager for a glimpse of the goddess. Offerings balanced on their heads and prayers in their eyes, these individuals tread barefoot across burning coals, shielded by the divinity of Shri Muthyalamma Devi — their beloved gramadevata.
Thousands gather here each year for the Shri Muthyalamma Devi Jatre, a five-day village fair steeped in spiritual, social and cultural meaning. Beyond its mystical rituals, drenched in folklore and Vedic ethos, the jatre is a lively celebration that transforms this quiet hamlet into a vivid spectacle of sound, colour, and community, during which residents open their arms to performers, small traders, and visitors from neighbouring villages, united in devotion and joy.
“Shri Muthyalamma Devi has presided over our village for nearly a century,” says Praveen BR, vice-president of the Bettahalsoor Gram Panchayat. His family has lived in this village for over four generations, witnessing the fair evolve through the decades. “Her original abode (moolasthana) was in nearby Doddajala, where a grand jatre drew people from across the region. But our forefathers felt her blessings were needed closer home, so they established her temple here,” he adds. Accordingly, the villagers performed the pranaprathishtapana of the deity in Bettahalsoor. Initially a small shrine, the temple was renovated about 35 years ago, and with it, the jatre gained greater splendour.
Temple priest Prakash Sharma, who has served the goddess for over 50 years, recalls the transformation. “What started as a modest affair is now a vibrant festival. But the essence remains unchanged, it binds our people in shared reverence,” he tells TNSE.
The entire village contributes to organising the jatre. “During this week, it becomes part of our everyday life,” says resident Siddagangamma SG, adding, “We begin each day with pujas to our household gods, then offer our pranams to the village deity. It’s deeply sacred.”
Five days of festive faith
Tradition dictates that planning for the jatre begins on the evening of Rama Navami. Village elders and the temple priest consult the almanac to determine the exact time and date for the fair, always a Monday two weeks later. A lagna patrike (invitation) follows, listing rituals and events, and is distributed to all 4,500 residents of Bettahalsoor, and in nearby villages.
When the chosen Monday arrives, festivities begin with an arati at the village’s several Shiva temples. Tuesday is dedicated to Danadevaru, special deities invoked to protect livestock. Wednesday is the jatre’s spiritual high point. The goddess is bathed (abhisheka), adorned (alankara), and worshipped with arati. Her image is placed in a richly decorated teru (temple chariot) and taken in a pradakshina (circumambulation) of the temple. Devotees crowd for darshan, breaking coconuts and pumpkins to ward off evil.
Later, the agnikund — a bed of burning embers — is prepared. Devotees, bearing offerings, walk through the flames before entering the temple, a practice rooted in faith and fearlessness.
There’s also a deep connection with the Muddevanavara Veera Simhasana Samsthan Mutt of nearby Hunasamaranahalli, regarded as the deity’s taurmane (place of origin). Each year, the mutt sends a ceremonial ‘taali’ and saree for the goddess. “The saree, once sanctified on the goddess, is given to young women,” shares an elderly local woman, underscoring the deeply personal faith many have in the Devi.
Thursday brings a grand procession of the goddess and offering of annaprasada to the picturesque Bettahalsoor Lake. Around 10,000 devotees are served food. On Friday, the festival concludes with a majestic deepalankara (illumination ceremony), during which every deity from the village’s temples is paraded in pearl palanquins, while Shri Muthyalamma is taken around in a gleaming silver chariot.
For five days, the village comes alive with glowing lights and joyous voices. Children squeal on man-powered carousels, while older kids enjoy ice lollies, bajjis, goli soda, and roasted corn. Pushcarts snake through the jatre grounds selling snacks, toys, bangles, handicrafts, and household items. Travelling vendors from nearby districts join the fray, adding to the buzz. Tattoo artists, jugglers and folk performers captivate audiences, while music shows, comic acts, and Puranic plays turn the village into a cultural stage.
“Every village, big or small, has had a legend or a myth of some sort to associate itself with the place or people belonging to a certain stock. One thing is certain, and that is the force of the local legend binding people together into one cohesive community,” write Prof HA Ramakrishna and folklorist HL Nage Gowda in their seminal work, Essentials of Karnataka Folklore. Bettahalsoor’s jatre is a vivid embodiment of that very idea. As visitors approach the temple, they pass rangolis in rich hues adorning every doorstep, each path leading to the goddess’ blessings.
For many in Bettahalsoor, the Shri Muthyalamma Devi Jatre, held this year from April 21-25, is a time of penance and contemplation. For others, it is an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones. And for some, it’s pure delight, rejoicing in the moment of annual festivity. But above all, it is a celebration of shared faith and service, reaffirming the bonds between people, their village, and their goddess.