18.29 Lakh Devotees Take Darshan at Indrakeeladri
Over 18.29 lakh devotees visited Kanaka Durga temple during Dasara festivities, with heavy Bhavani devotee crowds prompting extensive food, water and medical arrangements.
Indrakeeladri and the I-Town area here witnessed a heavy influx of Bhavani devotees dressed in red for the Dasara Sharannavaratri festivities at the Kanaka Durga temple. Chants of ‘Jai Bhavani, Jai Jai Bhavani’ dominated the air in the past two days.
Temple executive officer Seena Naik said on Thursday that 18.29 lakh devotees had darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga by 4pm. Around 14.84 lakh devotees had visited the shrine between October 11 and the midnight on October 20 during the Dasara, followed by a continuous influx of Bhavani devotees on October 21 and 22.
The rush was continuing until midnight with the devotees still waiting. They are likely to complete their darshan over the weekend.
The temple had distributed 39.84 lakh laddus by 4pm, with another 3.30 lakh ready for distribution. Annadanam reached 8,37,385 devotees. Meals were being provided at the annaprasadam complex until midnight, while food packets were distributed to devotees in the holding areas between 1am and 4–5am.
Additional food distribution centres were operating near the Vinayaka temple entrance, the underpass near the tonsuring hall and the protocol office on the hill. The temple had also distributed 4.34 lakh buttermilk and 6.45 lakh biscuit packets. Safe drinking water was being supplied continuously along queue lines and in holding areas.
Medical teams at five-bed facilities on the hill had provided free outpatient services and emergency medicines to around 1.06 lakh devotees. Treatment was given for leg pain, colds, body aches and fever.
The public address systems at the Vinayaka temple, tollgate, Om turning and holding areas between the main temple and the Sivalayam were being used to relay instructions and announce the timings of the 'maha naivedyam' and harathis. The devotional chant “Om Sri Kanaka Durgayai Namah” was also being played continuously.
Seena Naik said temple employees, police and other government departments were working in coordination to ensure smooth darshan and an uninterrupted supply of food and prasadam despite the heavy rush.
In the latest update, 1,32,411 devotees had darshan for the Panchaharathis ritual on Thursday evening. By 6pm, all darshan queues were crowded, but devotees were allowed to proceed through three queue lines while the ritual was in progress.
Officials said the queue at the Vinayaka temple would be closed at 11pm, depending on the rush, and darshan would be provided to those already waiting in the queue.