Children steal the show at Mangaluru Dasara with ‘Tiger Cub’ contest
Mangaluru: Kudroli Sri Gokarnanath Kshetra, the hub of coastal Dasara celebrations, turned into a carnival of children’s laughter and talent on Sunday as the Children’s Dasara-2025 got underway.
Thousands of children took part in a variety of cultural and competitive events, filling the temple premises with colour and cheer. The highlight was the much-loved ‘Tiger Cub’ (Kinnipili) competition, which drew huge crowds and became a talking point of this year’s festivities.
The day began with a lively procession of children from the temple gate to the main stage. The schedule included a devotional song contest sponsored by Bhavani Shippings, a painting competition, and the ‘Kinnipili’ show sponsored by Biruver Kudla.
Social media child star Agniv, of Smart Kid fame, inaugurated the event. Dignitaries including Dr. Sushma Akkaraju, Kudroli Development Committee president Jairaj H. Somasundaram, treasurer Padmaraj R., trustees Santosh J. Poojary and Kritin Dheeraj Amin, and Biruver Kudla founder Udaya Poojary Ballalbhag were present.
With children’s laughter echoing through Kudroli, the Mangalore Dasara celebrations gained a fresh, youthful energy, making Sunday’s event one of the most memorable highlights of the 2025 edition.
