Vijayawada: Devotees availing hassle-free darshan

Vijayawada(NTR District): Dasara festivities at Sri Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri are going on in a peaceful way. Thousands of devotees across the State are having Goddess Kanaka Durga darshan. Pilgrims are enjoying hassle-free darshan so far, except on the first day owing to technical issues.

On the third day, Goddess Kanaka Durga was adorned as Sri Gayatri Devi on Wednesday, who appeared with five faces to devotees.

"It is believed that whoever has the darshan of Goddess Gayatri will be blessed with good health. And whoever Chants the Gayatri Maha mantra gets relief, emancipation, money, food, worldly pleasures and good offspring," said a temple priest. Deputy Chief Minister Budi Mutyala Naidu, Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, Civil Supplies Minister Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao, MLA Kethi Reddy Venkatrami Reddy and other public representatives and officials had Goddess darshan on Wednesday. District Collector S Dilli Rao, Temple EO D Bhramaramba and temple priests welcomed them with temple tradition and as per protocol.

Later speaking with the media, Minister B Mutyala Naidu said that the government made elaborate arrangements to provide hassle-free darshan to devotees. He expressed satisfaction over the arrangements and stated that he prayed to the Goddess to give healthy and happy life to all the people across the State.

Meanwhile, the number of visiting devotees slightly dropped in the morning due to the untimely and incessant rains in Vijayawada and Krishna districts. But once the rain stopped, the crowd movement automatically increased from evening.

On the fourth day of the festivities on Thursday, the presiding deity will appear as 'Sri Annapurna Devi'. In this Alankaram, Goddess Kanaka Durga is decorated as Sri Annapurna Devi with a feeding bowl and a ladle in her hands to serve food and Lord Shiva stands at her doorstep urging her for food.

The Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam received Rs 63 lakh earnings on the first two days of the festivities. This income includes Rs 19.67 lakh by selling Rs 300 tickets; Rs 11 lakh by vending Rs 500 tickets; Rs 10.33 lakh by selling Rs 100 tickets; Rs 16 lakh from the sale of laddu prasadam.