Karaga Festival is a ritual celebrated in
Karnataka by the
Tamil speaking community of gardeners called Thigalars.
It is held just after dusk on the Karga day, which falls either in March or April, at the Dharmaraya Swami Temple in Bangalore. During the festival, a priest dressed in female clothing leads a fantastic procession to the dazzling play of swords by a number of Thigalars. The priest carries a flower-decked pyramid on his head.
The main feature of the festival is the custom of visiting the tomb of an 18th century Muslim saint. Karaga festival strengthens the Hindu-Muslim unity.
