Huge Friday rush at Durga temple

Vijayawada (NTR District): About 80,000 pilgrims thronged the Durga temple to have darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga on Friday, the fifth day of the festivities. As devotees believe that Friday is one of the auspicious days to offer puja, thousands of pilgrims, especially women devotees have flocked the temple. Due to the heavy rush, it took approximately four hours for the devotees, including normal queue lines, VIPs, who purchased Rs 500 ticket, to have Goddess' darshan.

The Goddess appeared in 'Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi' alankaram. She is the second form of Tripura trayam and is the ultimate, primordial Shakti, the light of manifestation.

Endowments Minister Kottu Satyanarayana supervised the devotees' movements and arrangements for the festivities. He told the police to be strict and not to allow anyone in an illegal way. The Minister interacted with the devotees and enquired about the arrangements.

District Collector S Dilli Rao, Temple EO D Bhramaramba and DCP Vishal Gunny also supervised the crowd movement every minute.

The presiding deity Goddess Kanaka Durga will be adorned in 'Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi' alankaram on Saturday, on the sixth day. Sri Mahalakshmi Devi, who is a transfigured form of riches and wealth, appears with lotus in both hands, and 'Varada Abhaya hastha' to devotees.

Durga temple has received Rs 1.33 crore earnings for four days. This includes Rs 96 lakh by selling Rs 500, Rs 300 and Rs 100 tickets and Rs 37 lakh from the sale of laddu prasadam. Hundi proceedings are yet to be counted.

Meanwhile, a devotee G Sri Rama Chandra Murthy (57) from Hyderabad, who came to have Goddess darshan, suddenly collapsed inside the temple. He was rushed to hospital in 108 and doctors declared him brought dead. Sri Rama Chandra Murthy's relatives said that he was diabetic patient and suffering from heart related problems.