VIJAYAWADA: A ceremony to confer Bhavani deeksha to devotees will begin from November 19 at Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri, according to temple executive officer V Koteswaramma.
Addressing a press conference at Mallikarjuna Maha Mandapam in Vijayawada on Saturday, Koteswaramma said normally the ceremony to confer Bhavani deeksha begins on Karthika Pournami or Utthana Ekadasi in Karthika Masam.
But this year, devotees will adorn Bhavani Mala begin on November 19 and the Bhavani devotees will relinquish deeksha between December 29 and January 2, 2019 The temple priests would give artha mandala deeksha to devotees between December 9 to 13, Koteswaramma said.
Rituals such as ‘Vigneshwara Pooja,’ ‘Kalasa Sthapana’ and ‘Punyahavachanam’ would be performed by the priests to mark the beginning of the 41-day Bhavani deeksha on November 19, the EO said.
She also said that ‘Agni Prathisthapana’, ‘Satha Chandi Homam’ and other rituals would be conducted as part of the deeksha relinquishment, adding that the Bhavani devotees would relinquish their deeksha from December 29 to January 2, 2019.
Meanwhile, the annual ‘Kalasa Jyothi Utsavam’ of the processional deities of Goddess Kanaka Durga and Lord Malleswara Swamy will be taken out from the Indrakeeladri on December 13.
The idols will be taken in a palanquin and placed on a decorated van at the toll gate. The van will be taken to Sivaramakrishna Kshetram, from where the procession will begin and reach Indrakeeladri after traversing through main areas of the city. ‘Purnahuti’ will be conducted on the temple premises on January 2 next to mark the end of the Bhavani deeksha relinquishment, she added.
At a glance
Adorning Bhavani mala at Durga temple
Nov 19 to 23: Bhavani deeksha at Indrakeeladri
Dec 9 to 13: Conferring Artha Mandala Deeksha
Dec 29 to Jan 2, 2019: Bhavani deeksha relinquishment
January 2, 2019: Purnahuti will be performed
Income earned by temple
`11,06,49 ,088: Revenue earned by Goddess Kanaka Durga temple during nine-day Dasara festivities
`5,88,57,031: Revenue earned through hundis