Maruti Temple, Karwar, Karnataka India

Travellers may choose to visit the Maruti Temple situated 8 km away from the town of Karwar if time permits. Numerous pilgrims visit this temple to offer prayers to Lord Ganapati. It is best known among tourists for its 'Rangoli Festival' that is influenced by rangoli art. At the time of this festival, people decorate roads surrounding the Maruti Temple with colourful patterns. Different rangoli designs make the temple a rangoli art gallery that attracts visitors in large numbers. Tourists can explore innovative and beautiful rangoli designs that are created by local artists during this festival. Rangoli designs at Maruti Temple usually include gods and goddesses, sport personalities, famous actors and politicians, to name a few. 

Karwar is a small coastal town of Karnataka and has now gained a prominent label  in the national map of India because of the newly commissioned ‘INS Kadamba’  base of Indian Navy. Besides several others, the annual festivals or ‘jathras’ of  the local temples are the special attractions of this town. Each such jathra has its own specialties and unique features.  The festival of Maruthi temple stands out due to its associated ‘rangoli’  art.  Beautiful rangoli arts are drawn and displayed on several streets surrounding the famous Maruthi temple during the festival night.  These streets together getting transformed  into a  Rangoli art Gallery  is,  in fact, the special attraction of this jathra. Thousands of people visit this jathra only to see such  rangoli arts.

During the recently concluded festival  of this year, the usual rangoli paintings depicting  traditional designs,  Gods and Goddesses were only a few. On the contrary, portraits of film stars, sports icons and the likes,  drawn in rangoli style,  were in plenty.