VIJAYAWADA: The three-day annual ‘Shakambari Devi’ festival will be celebrated at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam, Indrakeeladri from July 14 to July 16, said temple (EO) executive officer V Koteswaramma on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference at Mallikharjuna Maha Mandapam, Koteswaramma said the three-day annual ritual is celebrated in the month of Ashadam (July 3 to August 1), to propitiate the Goddess for abundant rains, good harvest and plentiful yield of vegetables. As part of the festivities, the presiding deity will be decorated with vegetables and fruits and worshipped as Shakambari Devi. The festival will span from ashadha shukla paksha trayodashi to purnima. The temple will also be decorated with vegetables and fruits, she added. On July 14, the priests will perform traditional rituals of ‘vigneswara puja’, ‘punyavachanam’, ‘akhanda deeparadhana’, ‘ankurarpanam’, ‘vastu homam’ and ‘kalasa sthapana’, marking the start of the festivities.
Koteswaramma said that during the month of ashada, women devotees offer traditional saree, considering the Goddess as their family member. “Last year, around 50,000 devotees offered sarees to the presiding deity. We are expecting the devotees’ number to increase this year and necessary arrangements have been made. Mukha Mandapa darshanam will be available to the devotees who offer the sarees. Interested persons can purchase a ticket for Rs 100, if they want to have special darshan of the Goddess,” she added.
Temple head-priest L Durga Prasad called upon the devotees to contact the temple essaying their participation by calling on the toll free number: 18004259099, or by enrolling their names at the enquiry centres.
Arrangements have been made to offer ‘anna prasadam’ to the devotees. This year too, around 1,000 devotees from Bhagyanagar Sri Mahankali Jatara Bonalu Utsavalu Ummadi Devalayala Uregimpu Committee will offer traditional ‘bonam’ to the Goddess on July 14. On July 26, the temple vedic committee will offer ‘bonam’ at Lal Darwaja Simhavahini Mahankali temple Hyderabad.
Temple to be closed on July 16
On July 16, the temple will be closed at 6 pm after offering pancha harathulu in view of the lunar eclipse. Priests will perform ‘purnahuti’ in the morning only and devotees will be allowed for darshan after 10 am on July 17 after special rituals have been performed
Expecting the turnout of the devotees to be high, the devasthanam has decided to cancel the arjitha sevas and antralaya darshanam at Durga temple from July 14 to 16