CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy offers silk clothes to Goddess Kanaka Durga on Moola Nakshatram
Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy carrying silk clothes to offer them to the presiding deity at Kanaka Durga temple on Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada on Sunday Photo: Ch V Mastan
Vijayawada (NTR District): Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy presented silk clothes on behalf of the State government to Goddess Kanaka Durga on Sunday on the auspicious day of Moola Nakshatram as part of the 10-day Dasara festivities atop Indrakeeladri.
The presiding deity appeared in 'Sri Saraswathi Devi' Alankaram with a Veena on her lap and blessed the devotees.
The devotees consider 'Moola Nakshatram' auspicious as it is the 'Janma Nakshatra' of Goddess Kanka Durga. On the occasion, the Chief Minister reached the hill shrine at 3 pm clad in traditional white dhoti and shirt.
After reaching the hill shrine, he was welcomed by the temple priests and the officials with Poornakumbham according to the custom. After that the chief priest of the temple strapped the traditional 'Parivattam' to the Chief Minister and placed the plate containing sacred 'silk robes' on his head. From there, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy carried the set of 'Pattu Vastralu', turmeric, and Kumkuma on his head to the sanctum sanctorum, offered the same to Goddess Kanaka Durga and worshipped the Goddess.
Temple priests offered Theertha Prasadam and a portrait of the presiding deity to the Chief Minister. Later, he was rendered Vedaseervachanam by the priests. Deputy Chief Minister and Endowments Minister Kottu Satyanarayana, Home Minister Taneti Vanitha, Housing Minister Jogi Ramesh, other MLAs and MLCs accompanied the Chief Minister.
Darshan stopped for 20 minutes: In view of the Chief Minister's visit to the temple, the authorities stopped the darshan for 20 minutes to common devotees. Earlier, it was decided to stop the darshan for 45 minutes. But in the wake of heavy rush, District Collector S Dilli Rao ordered the officials to ease restrictions for the common devotees to have darshan of the Goddess.
After the completion of the visit of the Chief Minister, the devotees were allowed to have darshan of the deity. But the police, who strictly imposed the restrictions since morning, relaxed the restrictions only after the Chief Minister left the place.