VIJAYAWADA: An estimated 70,000 devotees thronged the Sri Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri on Tuesday, the second day of the Dasara festivities, to seek blessings from the goddess, who was adorned as Sri Gayathri Devi.
It took nearly two hours for devotees to complete the darshan after entering the queue lines. Authorities have implemented comprehensive arrangements to ensure a smooth and hassle-free experience. NTR District Collector G Lakshmisha and CP SV Rajasekharbabu are continuously monitoring the situation.
On the second day, Annadanam was provided to 19,629 pilgrims, and 70,464 Laddus were sold by Tuesday evening. In anticipation of high demand, officials stated that over 3.6 million laddus are being prepared.
Ministers Savitha, Vangalapudi Anitha, and Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, along with MLAs Bolisetti Srinivas and Dharmaraju, also visited the temple and had darshan of the goddess.