Long Queues For ‘Khazana’ Coins At Bhagyalakshmi Temple
The coins are placed at the feet of the goddess during the Deepawali puja, and each devotee receives one: Reports
HYDERABAD: Thousands of devotees gathered at the Bhagyalakshmi Temple near Charminar on Monday to offer prayers and receive silver coins, known as Khazana, during Diwali celebrations. Queues stretched to Gulzar Houz as families arrived from across the city and beyond.
The coins are placed at the feet of the goddess during the Deepawali puja, and each devotee receives one. One side bears an image of Goddess Lakshmi and the other, Charminar. Devotees believe keeping a coin at home brings prosperity.
Temple organisers said distribution would continue until Wednesday night. They attributed the large turnout partly to social media. Police regulated traffic and managed crowds around Charminar.
Harshitha, a devotee from Dilsukhnagar, said she waited nearly two hours for darshan. Srilatha, from Kushaiguda, said she had visited the temple every Diwali since childhood. “The crowds have increased significantly over the years. Until 2019, there used to be very little rush, but now devotees have to wait for hours in queues,” she said.
Trustee Shashikala said the turnout was unexpected and the number of visitors would be known after the coin distribution ended. She said she was the fourth generation in her family to continue the tradition.
Some families voiced concern about the long waits and the risk of a stampede. A family from Kushaiguda said they were waiting for the crowds to thin before entering the temple.