Vijayawada: Dasara Celebrations began on a grand note in Vijayawada

Vijayawada : The Dasara festivities, the main annual celebrations at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri began on a grand note here on Sunday. The 9 day celebrations began with the temple priests performing traditional rituals Suprabhata Seva, Snapanabhishekam, Balabhoga nivedana, and Nitya archana.

Devotees were allowed to have the goddess Sri Kanaka Durga Darshan after 9am, after completing the all rituals. On the first day, Today the presiding deity appeard in Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Devi Alankaram. Meanwhile, a number of pilgrims turned up for the celebrations from the early hours of Sunday.

Devotees from across the State reached the temple premises around 5 am and waited in the queue lines after taking a holy dip in river Krishna at Durga and Krishnaveni ghats. This year the authorities are expecting, over 8 lakh devotees to visit the Durga temple during these 9 days, and accordingly the concerned authorities made foolproof arrangements for the convenience of the pilgrims.