Vijayawada: Bhavani Deeksha relinquishment from today
Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devastanam Board executive officer D Bhramaramba and chairman Pyla Somi Naidu and addressing the media at the temple in Vijayawada on Friday
Vijayawada: The relinquishment of Bhavani Deeksha by the devotees of Goddess Kanaka Durga will commence from Saturday, said chairman of Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devastanam Board Pyla Somi Naidu and executive officer D Bhramaramba.
Devastanam Board members Katakam Sridevi and Ganta Prasad, chief priest Lingambhotla Durga Prasad, Sthanacharya Vishnubhotla Sivaprasada Sarma and executive engineer DV Bhaskar and AEE M Tirumaleswara Rao were present.
Sthanacharyulu Vishnubhotla Sivaprasada Sarma recalled that the Bhavani Deeksha was started 40 years back with nine devotees and today several lakhs of devotees are taking Deeksha. Referring to the relinquishment programme, he said that after Homagundam was started at 8.30 am on Saturday, the Bhavanis would be allowed. The Bhavanis would be provided free Darshan of the presiding deity every day from 3 pm to 10 pm. The relinquishment programme would conclude on December 29 with Maha Purnahuti.
Executive officer Bhramaramba said that about six lakhs devotees are expected to attend the relinquishment. She suggested to the devotees to strictly follow the Covid regulations. Efforts are made to provide Prasadam to all the six-lakh devotees and five-lakh laddus would be kept ready for sale to the devotees.
Preparations for the special queue lines, showers, hair-offering places, Prasadam counters were completed and fifty stalls were arranged to receive Irumidis from the devotees. Three Homagundams were prepared to receive the ghee-filled coconuts.
Special boxes were arranged to drop the red dress worn by the devotees during the Deeksha, she said and appealed to the devotees to drop the relinquished dress in those boxes only.
Pyla Somi Naidu said that repairs to the roads for the smooth passing of devotees during the Giri Pradakshina were undertaken. Separate walking track was arranged for the devotees. Two hundred devotees at a time could offer hair at the hair-offering centres. Showers were arranged to allow 500 devotees to take bath at a time.