Vijayawada:The five-day Bhavani Deeksha Viramana, when devotees of Goddess Durga give up the annual deeksha vow that they take, began on a grand note at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop the Indrakeeladri Hill in Vijayawada on Saturday.
The temple premises reverberated with chants of Jai Durga, Jai Bhavani, as tens of thousands of devotees from across Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states thronged the temple to relinquish their deeksha.
The process began with the Suprabhata Seva and Harathi Nivedana to the presiding deity, Goddess Kanaka Durga, in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. This was followed by consecration of Agni Pratishtapana at the Homa Gundas at 5:45 a.m. at the Maha Mandapam
Among those present included Durga Temple executive officer (EO) K.S. Rama Rao, deputy EO Rathna Raju, Vaidika committee members and priests of the shrine.
Temple authorities opened the doors for devotees of Kanaka Durga at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. EO Rama Rao said devotees in all queue lines are having free darshan, which will continue on all the remaining four days. Temple authorities sold 1.20 lakh laddus by 6 p.m. on Saturday.
From Sunday onwards, devotees will be allowed to have their darshan from 3 a.m. to 11 p.m. The deeksha relinquishment will conclude at 10 a.m. on December 25 with the Maha Purnahuthi at the temple.
