Governor Couple Performs Puja At Durga Temple : Lack of coordination mars Dasara festivities

Vijayawada: Sheer lack of coordination among the police, the temple staff and the members of the festival committee created hurdles to devotees and smooth functioning of the administration on the third day of Dasara celebrations on the premises of Durga temple here on Tuesday.

This spoiled the festive atmosphere on the temple premises. The police department is facing criticism as it has taken the total control of the festival administration and crowd management responsibility into their hands.

The devotees are unhappy with the way the crowd is being handled by the police. The police staff and the temple festival committee members were at loggerheads when the devotees were being stopped in the VIP queues by the security staff.

Similarly, there was a faceoff between the police officials and the NSS members who are supposed to guide and assist in the easy movement of the queues.

The NSS members boycotted their duties for some time and complained to Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivas.

Meanwhile, a constable attached to the government railway police and deputed to work at the Durga temple staged protest half-naked on the temple premises.

The constable was upset because he was being pulled up by the senior officers for not allowing the vehicles of followers of political leaders.

He said on one hand he was being blamed for performing his duty and on the other hand they were refusing to sanction leave.

Meanwhile, AP Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan along with his wife Suprava Harichandan visited the temple on Tuesday and offered prayers. The First Family was given a warm welcome and temple honours by Executive Officer (EO) NV Suresh Babu along with Vedic priests and members.

After the puja, the Governor couple was offered prasadam and the portrait of Goddess Durga.

The temple priests decorated the deity as Sri Gayatri Devi on the third day of the celebrations. She is revered as mother who protects all those who chant Gayatri mantram by giving them salvation, relief, wealth, food, worldly pleasures, and good offsprings.It is believed that the Goddess often sits on a red lotus flower and is the incarnation of the Goddess as Parvati.

She is also identified with Saraswati. The devotees were offered Nimmakaya (lemon) pulihora as prasadam. Goddess Durga will appear in Annapurna Devi alankaram on Wednesday.