CM to visit Durga temple today in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will have the darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga on Friday instead of Saturday due to his New Delhi tour programme.

According to sources, police department received information on Thursday evening to make the necessary security arrangements in this regard.

The Chief Minister would hand over the sari to temple priests on behalf of the State government on Friday. The Goddess Durga will be decorated in Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi alankaram on Friday.

Deputy Police Commissioner Vijaya Rao said that they would stop the vehicles on ghat road from 2.30 onwards as the Chief Minister may visit the temple between 4 pm to 5 pm.

Meanwhile the Goddess Kanaka Durga on Thursday appeared in Sri Lalita Maha Sundari Devi alankaram and the devotees rush continued fifth-day also. Executive Officers (EO) of Srikalahasthi and Annavaram temples visited the temple and offered special pujas along with the officials. They presented silk saris to Goddess Durga on behalf of their temples. The temple EOs and other officials offered special pujas.

Meanwhile Dhanekula Venkata Bhavaniprasad, a devotee, presented gold chain worth Rs 10 lakh to Goddess Durga. Surprisingly, the Vedic Committee members and temple priests have difference of opinion over the decoration of ornament.

The Vedic Committee members suggested the priests to decorate the Goddess with the ornament immediately after it was presented by the devotees to provide them a chance to see the decoration.

But the priests objected to the proposal resulting in the issue turned into a controversy among them on temple premises. Meanwhile, former Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao visited the temple through the queue line. He continued the tradition to visit the temple always following in the queue line only.

Later, he levelled allegations against the leaders of YSRCP as they were recycling the darshan tickets. He also said that all the YSRCP leaders were visiting the temple through the VIPs queue creating inconvenience to devotees.

Former Minister Kollu Ravindra also visited the temple along with his family members. The Goddess will appear in Sri Saraswathi Devi alankaram on Saturday on the auspicious occasion of Moola Nakshatram, which is believed to be the birth star of presiding deity.

As per tradition, the State government would present silk sari to Goddess Durga on her birth star day in Saraswathi Devi alankaram. But the Chief Minister will visit the temple one day in advance to the temple due to his New Delhi tour on Saturday.