Vijayawada: AP's iconic Kanaka Durga Temple has turned red with Bhavani devotees relinquishing their Bhavani Deeksha. The devotees clad in red robes made a beeline to the temple on Wednesday. The temple is expecting around 5 lakh devotees during the five-day fest.
Temple trust board chairman Karnati Rambabu, executive officer KS Rama Rao and Sthanacharyulu Vishnubhotla Siva Prasad Sharma formally inaugurated the rituals by performing an Agni Prathistapana. They lit the Homa Gundam at 6.30am after which the devotees were allowed to have darshan of Goddess Durga Devi.
Several devotees from various places across the AP and Telangana arrived at the temple in red robes to offer their prayers and relinquish their sacred Deeksha before the goddess.
The Bhavani devotees began the 41-day-long Deeksha relinquishment ritual by offering coconuts to the Homagundam, a pit for sacrificial offerings arranged near the Mallikarjuna Maha Mandapam.
The temple priests and officials performed Vigneswara Puja and lit the Homagundam, marking the commencement of Bhavani Deeksha around 6.30am, amidst the recitation of Vedic hymns.
The Devotees initially performed the Giri Pradakshina, walking for more than six kilometres around the Indrakeeladri hill barefoot and taking a holy dip in River Krishna before entering the queue line at the Vinayaka temple.
The Durga temple authorities appointed an adequate number of Guru Bhavanis drawn from various parts of the state for the Deeksha relinquishment at the Mallikarjuna Maha Mandapam.
Queue lines stretched from the Vinayaka temple to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. After darshan, devotees dropped ghee-filled coconuts and other Pooja material they brought in the ‘Irumudi’, at the Homa Gundam at the base of the hills.
Durga temple executive officer Rama Rao said sufficient numbers of showers have been provided at the ghats on the banks of River Krishna for devotees to take a holy bath. Several additional Prasadam counters and chappal stands were also arranged.
As many as 20 lakh Laddu Prasadam has been arranged for supply to every devotee.
Durga temple trust board chairman Karnati Rambabu personally took stock of the arrangements and interacted with the devotees. He promised them to improve the facilities in the remaining four days.
Meanwhile, traffic jams prevailed on the Vijayawada – Hyderabad national highway due to the heavy arrival of devotees. Though the NTR police commissionerate imposed traffic diversions, the road was packed with vehicles at Bhavanipuram.
Vehicles coming from Hyderabad to Vijayawada experienced snarls on the highway.
