VIJAYAWADA: Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri is gearing up for the three-day annual Shakambari festival, which is scheduled to be held from July 19 to 21.
Elaborate arrangements have been made by the temple officials and the festivities will commence on Friday morning with all traditional rituals.
During the festival, the presiding deity Goddess Durga will be adorned in the avatar of Shakambari Devi. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple premises will be decorated with leaves, fruits and vegetables offered by farmers, businessmen and other devotees.
Durga temple executive officer (EO) KS Rama Rao said the festival is a special occasion for transforming the presiding deity into Shakambari Devi in Ashada Masam of Telugu calendar. “Traders and businessmen in the city, devotees and farmers from various places had donated vegetables, flowers and fruits for the festival in advance. The devotees believe that the festival is an occasion to propitiate her for bountiful rain and good harvest of food, grains and vegetables,” Rama Rao explained.
He said the tradition of celebrating the festival started in 2007 on light notes had become a big celebration and it is growing each and every year. “What had started on a modest note in 2007 at Kanaka Durga temple has turned into a grand affair now. Earlier, there was not much attention for the celebrations. However, the festivities and the ritual gained acceptance and devotees and traders began donating vegetables and fruits for the occasion. The donations were fewer than 10 tonnes when the new tradition was introduced, now it rose to 40 tonnes,” he maintained.
The ritual slowly spread to other temples. A new trend of propitiating the gods has set in. Now, about 90 temples across the Krishna district are adopting the practices and these traditions.
According to temple priests, legend says that the Goddess Durga in the avatar of Shakambari defeated Dhuroorudu, the demon of drought, and shed tears on seeing the travails of people, which led to a glut of foodgrain and vegetables.
The Goddess, who was in Shakambari Devi avatar, donated her organs to Earth to ensure that food grows even during the drought.
Devotees will be allowed for darshan of the Goddess on Friday morning around 9 am after performing Vigneswara Puja, Ruthvik Varuna, Punyavachanam, Akhanda Deeparadhana, Vastu Homam and Kalasa Sthapana.
What is more important to mention is Kadambam Prasadam which will be distributed to devotees during the festivities.
The ‘Kadambam Prasadam’ is a delicacy made using all kinds of vegetables used for decoration of the temple, pulses and rice.
“We are making elaborate arrangements to ensure all the devotees visiting the temple gets Kadambam prasadam,” EO Rama Rao said.