VIJAYAWADA: Heavy rush was witnessed at the hill shrine of Kanaka Durga Temple on Sunday as devotees thronged the temple during the summer holidays and weekend.
In view of the heavy summer rush, temple authorities temporarily suspended Antaralaya Darshan from 10 am to 2 pm on Sunday to facilitate quicker darshan for general devotees. The special darshan resumed after 2 pm. The increased pilgrim turnout led the temple authorities to step up arrangements to ensure smooth darshan and avoid inconvenience to visitors.
Temple officials conducted an extensive inspection of the ghat road, queue lines and inner temple premises to monitor the flow of devotees and review the facilities being provided. Devotees expressed satisfaction over the arrangements, stating that darshan was moving smoothly despite the heavy crowd. With temperatures remaining high, special focus was placed on summer relief measures. Drinking water points and cooling shelters set up for devotees were reviewed, while staff members were instructed to ensure uninterrupted supply of drinking water and buttermilk at the shelters throughout the day.
Authorities also monitored the transport system operating on the hill to ensure smooth movement of vehicles carrying pilgrims. Necessary instructions were issued to regulate traffic and prevent congestion on the ghat road and temple surroundings.