Dussehra stick fight turns violent, leaving devotees injured and dead

A centuries-old stick-fighting ritual, Karrala Samaram, held after Dussehra to pay obeisance to Mala Malleshwara Swamy, turned violent, leaving devotees injured and dead. The ritual involves two groups from different villages competing to gain possession of the presiding deity’s idols, with celebrations continuing from midnight until dawn.