Vijayawada: Delays mar Annaprasadam at Kanaka Durga temple

Vijayawada : Devotees visiting the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam (Sri Kanaka Durga temple) atop Indrakeeladri have been facing a lot of difficulties in availing Annaprasadam (free meals). It may be noted that the presiding deity Goddess Sri Kanaka Durga is believed to be an incarnation of Sri Annapoorna Devi (the giver of food and nourishment). As per legend, the goddess never lets her devotees go hungry. So, thousands of pilgrims wish to take goddess’s Annaprasadam at least once in a lifetime. But devotees are getting disappointed in this matter, as they have to wait around three hours for meals in the congested queue lines.

Due to this, many pilgrims are turning back without taking the food. Sometimes, the pilgrims who are waiting in the queue lines are also backing out from the queue lines.

A devotee, A Sathi Babu from Rajahmundry, who was waiting in the queue line and was vexed by inordinate delays, said that it was a bad experience for him. He waited in the queue line for almost 2.30 hours and could not reach the meals section. He said that his family members also waited but they opted out from the queue line, he lamented.

It should be noted that despite being the second largest temple in terms of revenue as well as pilgrim footfall, the Durga temple authorities are only offering meals to the 3,000 devotees daily normal days and 3,000 to 4,500 persons on Friday and Sunday. The temple is receiving monthly donations of Rs 25 lakh to 40 lakh for the programme. Meals section has been arranged in the 2nd floor of Sri Mallikarjuna Mahamandapam.

Mallikarjuna Mahamandam was a parallel construction to the Durga temple. It has seven floors and the meals section is on the 2nd floor. All the devotees should go by steps from 7th floor to 3rd floor by foot only; then they are allowed to the 2nd floor by queue line to the meals section. Usually, pilgrims go to meals after having the Goddess Durga’sdarshan and darshan of adjacent temples on the hill.

Annaprasadam superintendent DVV Satya that they were offering the Annaprasadam from 11.30 am to 3.30 pm. The seating capacity of the 2nd floor which consisted of two halls is 300. The average time for every round is 40 minutes. He said pilgrims are offered pulihora, bellampongali, dal, pickle, sambar, buttermilk, one vegetable curry and rice. Thirty persons are involved in serving the food and cleaning and maintaining. The food is prepared at the Sringeri at Sri Kanaka Durga nagar and transported to the 2nd floor by the temple staff.

The main reason for delay is small halls and temple authorities’ negligence. Keeping this problem in mind, Chief Minister YS Jagna Mohan Reddy sanctioned Rs 70 crore for constructing Annaprasadam and Prasadam Potuthree years ago.

However, the temple authorities and engineering department couldn’t start the construction. Speaking to The Hans India, Sri Kanaka Durga temple trust board chairman Karnati Rambabu said that they were trying to start the construction Annaprasadam facility.

He said that they have funds and land for constructing complexes, but authorities are not supporting this. He further said that they wrote a letter to the government over the irregularities at the Durga temple and problems of devotees.