VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao fulfilled his vow by presenting a gold diamond-studded nose ring to Goddess Kanaka Durga at Vijayawada on Thursday. Mr Rao had vowed during the statehood agitation to present the nose ring if Telangana state became a reality.
Mr Rao was accorded a warm welcome at Gannavaram airport by minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao. After resting for a while at a hotel, Mr Rao and his family went to the temple at 12.50 pm, where they were welcomed by head priest L. Durga Prasad and escorted to the sanctum sanctorum through the raja gopuram.
AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu enters the sanctum sanctorum from the rear side; Mr Rao became the first CM to enter through the raja gopuram. He presented silk clothes to the goddess and the priests offered prasadam to Mr Rao and his family. Head priest Durga Prasad said that the gold nose stud with 57 diamonds was important because according to the epics when the Krishna river touches the nose ring of Durga it is an indication that the end of the universe is nearing.
Mr Rao offered special pujas and sought the goddesss blessings for the development and prosperity of the two Telugu states. Mr Rao said that he would revisit the Durga temple if he became Chief Minister again. He praised the development of Vijayawada and said the temple had changed a lot. This is Mr Rao’s third visit to Vijayawada but his first to the Kanka Durga temple. He had previously attended the foundation laying ceremony of AP’s new capital Amaravati and later visited Mr Naidu to invite him to Ayutha Chandi Maha Yagam.
