As many as 20 tableaux depicting various themes were taken out at Gonicoppa, marking the culmination of the cultural show of the Gonicoppa Dasara festivities in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu on Monday.

The tableaux procession was inaugurated by the president of the Gonicoppa APMC Achapanda Mahesh around 3 p.m. today. Of the 20 tableaux, as many as 12 depicted various social themes while the rest derived their themes from the Mahabharata, Keshav Kamath, a prominent citizen of Gonicoppa town told The Hindu. The procession went through the two-km route on the Gonicoppa main road ending at the Sri Uma Maheshwara Temple in the evening.

Social themes harped on issues such as the vicious shadows of terrorism, ill effects of drunkenness, pernicious effects of plastics and garbage, elephant menace that was rampant in Kodagu, dangers of sagging electric wires resulting in the electrocution of people and so on. Vehicular traffic was affected in the town till 5.30 p.m. following the tableaux procession. A large number of people watched the proceedings in the afternoon, Mr. Kamath said.

Madikeri spruced up

A cloudy atmosphere prevailed in Madikeri in the evening where Dasara festivities were slated to begin on Monday night. As many as 10 decorated mantaps (Dasha Mantaps) would emerge from as many temples late in the night in a car procession in the city towards Bannimantapa for the rituals in the morning on Tuesday.

The mantaps that would come out are from the temples of Sri Kote Maha Ganapathi, Chowtti Mariyamma, Kote Mariyamma, Dandina Mariyamma, Kanchi Kamakshi, Pete Sri Rama Mandira, Dechur Balaka Balarama Sri Rama Mandira, Chowdeshwari, Karawale Bhagavathi and Kodandarama. A large number of visitors were streaming into the city toward evening to witness the annual spectacle, Mahantesh, a resident of the city, told The Hindu.

The police have made elaborate security arrangements to prevent untoward incidents by setting up check-posts at vantage points. Parking arrangements have been made at several locations.

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