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Dasara festivities begin amid tight security
The10-day Dasara celebrations began at the Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri on Thursday amidst tight security with prayers offered by Ministers, Commissioner of Police D Gautam Sawang, officials and priests.
Vijayawada: The10-day Dasara celebrations began at the Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri on Thursday amidst tight security with prayers offered by Ministers, Commissioner of Police D Gautam Sawang, officials and priests.
The district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the 10-day festival which will conclude on September 30. On the first day, about 50,000 devotees had darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga. The deity was attired in Sri Swarna Kavachalankruta Durga Devi Alankaram on the first day.
Highlights:
- Presiding deity on Indrakeeladri gives darshan to devotees as Sri Swarna Kavachalankruta Durga Devi on the first day
- Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, Police Commissioner Gautam Sawang and other officials have darshan of the deity
Devotees began visiting the temple since 9 am and the queue lines were erected from Vinayaka temple to the adobe of the Goddess, Indrakeeladri. The queue lines moved very slowly. Since afternoon, the rush of devotees gradually increased. Nearly 37,000 devotees had darshan of Goddess Durga by 3 pm on Thursday.
Devotees got some relief with the arrangement of tarpaulin covers over the queue lines as the scorching temperature continued from morning to evening resembling summer.
Temple Executive Officer A Surya Kumari had briefed the media on the first day activities.She informed that all arrangements have been made for the sale of laddus and tamarind rice at the Prasadam counters, Transportation facility has been arranged for the physically challenged and elderly people from Rajiv Gandhi Park and other areas.
Referring to parking of vehicles, she said that the parking facility had been arranged near Krishnaveni Ghat for the government employees.
On the first day, joint Executive Commissioner of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Srinivasa Raju and temple priest Dollar Seshadri presented Pattu Vastralu to the Goddess Kanaka Durga.
Minister for Water Resources Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao walked from Vinayaka temple to the Indrakeeladri on foot as he did earlier and offered special prayers.
Minister for Forest and Environment Sidda Raghavarao visited the temple in the morning and offered special prayers. Temple executive officer A Surya Kumari, Trust Board chairman Y Gauranga Babu and others welcomed the minister. Nearly 300 endowment staff, more than 3,000 police force and several hundred volunteers joined the duty for the 10-day celebrations.
On the first day, devotees were allowed to have darshan of the presiding deity till 11 pm. From Friday onwards, devotees can visit the temple right from 3 am.
