Fri Nov 08 17:51:53 UTC 2024: ## Alva’s Education Foundation Celebrates Deepavali with Traditional Festivities
**Moodbidri, Karnataka (November 8, 2024):** Alva’s Education Foundation in Moodbidri, near Mangaluru, hosted a vibrant Deepavali celebration on Thursday, filled with traditional rituals, cultural performances, and a strong emphasis on agricultural heritage.
The festivities were inaugurated by Foundation Chairman M. Mohan Alva, who performed the Baliyendra Pooje, a traditional ceremony that marks the beginning of the festival. The ceremony involved lighting a lamp on a wooden pole made from a Pale tree after performing Ganapathi pooja. Guests arrived at the venue in a colourful procession featuring traditional instruments like Kombu, Kahale, and Chatri-Chamara.
The celebrations also included the Go Pooje, a ritual honoring cows with offerings of beaten rice, jaggery, paddy, neer dose, and bananas. Tulasi pooja and offerings to traditional agricultural equipment, including Negilu, Noga, and Kalase, as well as produce like fruits, vegetables, and paddy, were also performed.
Dr. Alva emphasized the significance of Deepavali, describing it as a festival that represents the role of light in life. He wished brighter days for everyone.
The cultural celebrations featured a variety of performances, including a classical dance, ‘Bho Shambho, Shiva Shambho Swayambho’, directed by Vidwan Deepak Kumar of Puttur. Yakshagana prasangas and other dances entertained the audience.
Students, parents, and members of the community came together to celebrate Deepavali at Alva’s Education Foundation, highlighting the importance of tradition, cultural heritage, and the joy of the festival.
First Piper 