VIJAYAWADA: An impressive influx of Bhavani devotees thronged Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of Goddess Sri Kanaka Durga. On the ninth day of the ongoing Dasara festival, the goddess was adorned as Sri Durga Devi, showering blessings on the pilgrims.
Around 1,07,464 devotees visited the temple by 8 pm, with queue times averaging approximately two hours for darshan. Compared to previous days, the movement of VIPs also increased; however, devotees experienced hassle-free access to the darshan.
Bhavani devotees have been flocking to the temple, many arriving on foot from West Godavari, Krishna and other nearby districts. A significant number of pilgrims from North Andhra districts also made the pilgrimage for the goddess’s blessings. Traditionally, many devotees from these regions arrive in large numbers during the final three days of the festival, including Bhavanis.
The rush continues unabated and is expected to intensify in the coming days, even after Dasara festivities conclude. District administration, police, municipal and endowment officials are vigilantly overseeing crowd management and monitoring the situation regularly.
Special efforts were made on Moola Nakshatra to ensure smooth darshan for the lakhs of devotees. To meet pilgrims’ drinking water needs, authorities distributed an impressive 35 lakh water bottles over the past eight days.
Additionally, 1,75,000 biscuit packets, 3.6 lakh buttermilk packets, and 6,600 litres of milk have been provided to temple visitors. Around 1,490 municipal workers have been tirelessly working around the clock to keep the premises, queue lines, toilets and roads clean and dust-free.
Meanwhile, on the eighth day, the temple earned Rs 45,56,583 through the sale of laddu prasadam, keshakandana and other sevas.
On the tenth day of the festivities, Wednesday, the goddess is set to appear in her Sri Mahishasura Mardhini Alankaram, continuing the divine celebrations.