Devotees from throng Durga temple for Navaratri Darshanv
By : MD Ilyas
Update: 2024-10-11 06:36 GMT
Vijayawada: On the eighth day of the Dasara festivities at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri, the presiding deity, Durga Devi, appeared in the form of Sri Durga Devi Avataram. Thousands of devotees from across Andhra Pradesh flocked to the temple to offer special prayers, with many Bhavani devotees also participating in poojas.
The ten-day Dasara festivities are set to conclude on October 12, culminating in the grand finale featuring the 'Teppotsavam,' a ceremonial boat festival on the Krishna River. Authorities from various departments, including Water Resources, Revenue, Fire, and the Durga Temple, have made extensive preparations for the event, readying the Hamsa Vahanam for the ritual. While a trial run of the Hamsa Vahanam was scheduled for Thursday, it was postponed to Friday due to high water inflows in the river.
Several VIPs visited the temple on Thursday. Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries, Bhupatiraju Srinivasa Varma, was warmly welcomed by the temple authorities and offered a special darshan of Durga Devi. He praised the arrangements made at the temple and expressed gratitude for the facilities provided for devotees, praying for the well-being of the people and the state.
APSRTC Chairman, Konakalla Narayana Rao, also visited the temple, receiving Laddu Prasadam and Sesha Vastram after his darshan. He expressed gratitude to Durga Devi for her blessings, which he believes helped him assume his position. Other prominent figures, including Vijayawada West MLA Yalamanchili Satyanarayana Chowdary (Sujana Chowdary) and Vizianagaram MP Kalisetti Appalanaidu, also visited and commended the Endowments Department's arrangements.
NTR District Collector Dr G. Srijana, Police Commissioner S.V. Rajasekhar Babu, and Durga Temple Executive Officer (EO) K.S. Rama Rao supervised the arrangements, ensuring a smooth flow of devotees through the queue lines and addressing their concerns. Minister for Endowments, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, closely monitored the situation, guiding officials to manage the crowd effectively.
According to temple authorities, on the eighth day of the festival, the temple generated ₹75 lakh in income through the sale of darshan tickets, prasadam, tonsuring, and other special poojas. This was an increase from the ₹39 lakh earned on the seventh day, which coincided with the auspicious Moola Nakshatram.