Indrakeeladri Readies For Dasara Devotee Rush From Today; Prioritises Free Darshan
The devasthanam administration has cancelled ₹100, ₹300, and ₹500 darshan tickets to prioritise ordinary devotees.
Vijayawada:Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam on Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada is all set for the annual Dasara Navaratri celebrations from Sunday to October 20. The shrine has prioritised free darshan for ordinary devotees, while streamlining the pilgrim movement to avoid any untoward incidents.
Temple executive officer V.K. Seena Naik said all departments have coordinated while making preparations for the festivities, ranging from darshan timings, special entry, transport, security, and sanitation to food distribution.
The devasthanam administration has cancelled ₹100, ₹300, and ₹500 darshan tickets to prioritise ordinary devotees.
However, there is a ₹1,000 special darshan facility through the Mana Mitra WhatsApp service at 95523 00009 or the official portal. The facility will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. QR-code scanning has been introduced to verify ₹1,000 ticket holders and prevent unauthorised entry.
Free buses will operate from the Kumarpalem centre to the hilltop for devotees holding ₹1,000 tickets, according to their allotted slots. Return buses will be available near the footbridge below the downhill route.
Special darshan slots for protocol dignitaries have been fixed from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 7:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. The EO said these arrangements are intended to prevent disruption to general darshan and ensure smooth pilgrim movement.
On October 11, the first day, darshan will be available from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. after the completion of rituals and alankaram. From October 12 to 20, devotees can have darshan from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
The Goddess will be worshipped in different forms during the 10 days of the festival as follows: Bala Tripura Sundari Devi on October 11, Gayatri Devi on October 12, Annapurna Devi on October 13, Mahalakshmi Devi on October 14, Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi on October 15, Saraswati Devi on October 16, Mahalakshmi Devi on October 17, Durga Devi on October 18, Mahishasuramardini Devi on October 19 and Raja Rajeshwari Devi on October 20.
Special pujas, including Laksha Kumkumarchana, will be conducted during the festival.
The temple has made arrangements for drinking water, sanitation, security, and crowd management. Three are queue complexes with a combined capacity of about 18,000 devotees. Drinking water points, mobile toilets, and other facilities are being provided at 54 locations. More than 5,000 personnel will be deployed in three shifts to provide round-the-clock services.
The temple administration will distribute Annaprasadam to more than 15,000 devotees daily. It has also arranged to supply 60 lakh laddus through 18 counters and distribution centres.
The celebrations will conclude on Vijayadashami, October 20, with the traditional Hamsavahana Teppotsavam in the Krishna River at 6 p.m.
