Durga temple gears up for Dasara festivities
Vijayawada: Elaborate arrangements are underway for the Dasara festivities at Indrakeeladri to be held from October 3 to 12. The NTR district administration in co-ordination with the endowments and police departments are doing the arrangements for the successful conduct of annual celebrations.
Lakhs of devotees will attend the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy varla Devasthanam.
The presiding deity will be attired in 12 avataras. On the first day, the deity will be decorated as Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Devi on October 3. On October 4, the deity will be attired in Sri Gayatri Devi alankaram, on October 5 as Sri Annapurna Devi and on October 6 as Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi. On October 7, the deity will be adorned as Sri Maha Chandi Devi, On October 8 as Sri Mahalakshmi Devi and on October 9 in Sri Sarasvati Devi Alankaram. On October 10, the Goddess will be adorned as Sri Durga Devi, on October 11 as Sri Mahishasura Mardani Devi and the last day, October 12, as Sri Rajarajeswari Devi.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will present silk robes to the Goddess on October 9 on Mula Nakshatram Day between 3 pm and 4 pm. He will present the robes on behalf of the state government.
Queue lines work has been completed and prasadam counters are getting ready. Two free queue lines are arranged for the devotees. Three queue lines are arranged for the devotees, who purchase tickets. Tickets with prices of Rs100, Rs 300 and Rs 500 are available. VIPs can reach Indrakeeladri by ghat road in vehicles and entry point is located near the Om Turning point.
The district administration is mainly focusing on bathing ghats and maintenance of hygiene, supply of drinking water, power and other administrative activities. Arrangements are underway for hosting cultural programmes.
On Monday, endowments minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy officially invited IT and HRD minister Nara Lokesh to attend the Dasara celebrations. He along with endowments department officials met Lokesh and presented prasadam and Sesha Vastram.