VIJAYAWADA: Bhavani Deeksha relinquishment began on a grand note at Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri here on Tuesday.
Adhering to Covid-19 regulations, temple authorities made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the Bhavani Deeksha relinquishment which is being held from January 5 to 9.
Devotees were allowed to have darshan of the presiding deity from 5:30 am onwards amidst chanting of Vedic hymns.
Only devotees with online tickets were allowed to have darshan of the presiding deity. The five-day long festivities began with the lighting of homa gundam by temple Sthanacharya Vishnubotla Siva Prasad Sarma and Vedic scholars.
Devotees from various parts of the state and neighbouring States thronged the hill shrine to relinquish their 41-day and 21-day-long Bhavani deeksha. Temple authorities arranged a queue line from Vinayaka temple on Canal Road to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Around 100 guru bhavanis from various parts of the State were specially appointed by the temple authorities for deeksha relinquishment at Mallikarjuna Mandapam. After completing darshan, devotees dropped ghee-filled coconuts and other puja material which is in their ‘irumudi’ at the homa gundam.
Unlike every year, temple officials did not allow devotees to have a holy dip in River Krishna and also cancelled ‘Giripradakshina’, where Bhavani devotees walk for more than six kilometers around the Indrakeeladri on barefoot.
Temple EO MV Suresh Babu said only 10,000 Bhavani devotees, who booked tickets online, will be allowed per day.