Vijayawada: All set for nine-day Dasara festivities from today

Vijayawada: All arrangements have been made for the successful and peaceful conduct of nine-day Dasara celebrations from October 7 to 15 at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy temple atop Indrakeeladri.

The temple administration has decided to strictly follow the Covid guidelines and allow only 10,000 devotees per day for the darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga.

On the first day (Thursday), the presiding deity will be adorned as Sri Swarnakavachalankruta Sri Durga Devi. After performing the rituals, the devotees will be allowed for darshan from 9 am. The temple administration has made all arrangements of the queue lines, sale of tickets, distribution of prasadam, for conducting Kunkumarchana, Sata Chandi Homam and Sri Chakra Savaavaranaarchana. Tickets for the special pujas will be available online.

Endowments, Revenue, Police, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, Irrigation and other departments are working in coordination for the peaceful conduct of festival. As per the orders of the government, thermal screening is mandatory near the entrance and sanitisation will be held regularly at the queue lines and other places during the nine days.

On the first day, the devotees will be permitted from 9 am to 10 pm only. From the second day onwards, devotees will be allowed from 4 am to 10 pm. On Mula Nakshatram Day, October 12, the timings will be from 3 am to 11 pm. Devotees can get tickets for Darshan online by logging into the temple website https://aptemples.ap.gov.in.

On the second day, October 8, the deity will be decorated as Sri Bala Tripurasundari Devi. On October 9, the deity will be adorned as Sri Gayatri Devi followed by Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi on October 10, Sri Anna Purna Devi and Sri Mahalakshmi Devi on October 11. On October 12, the Mulanakshatram Day, the deity will be decorated as Sri Saraswathi Devi. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will present silk robes to the goddess as per the tradition. On October 13, the goddess will be adorned as Sri Durga Devi (Durgashtami), followed by Sri Mahishasura Mardani Devi on October 14 and Sri Rajarajeswari Devi when Vijaya Dasami will be celebrated on October 15.

On October 11, the deity will be seen in two avatarams. From early morning to 12 noon the deity will be decorated as Sri Annapurna Devi and from 2 pm onwards, the goddess will be decorated as Sri Mahalakshmi Devi.

Teppotsavam, ride on decorated boat, will be held in Krishna river at 5 pm on October 15 to mark the concluding of the Dasara festivities.

Krishna district collector J Nivas, Vijayawada Police Commissioner B Srinivasulu, Municipal Commissioner Prasanna Venkatesh, temple executive officer D Bhramaramba inspected the arrangements, the queue lines, bathing ghat, entry and exit routes etc. More than 3,000 police personnel are drafted for the bandobust duty. Strict vigil will be maintained in and around the temple premises with drones and CC cameras. District Collector J Nivas has made it clear that devotees with online tickets will be allowed for the darshan during the celebrations. Tickets of Rs100 and Rs300 are being sold online.