VIJAYAWADA: More than 1.2 lakh devotees had darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga adorned as Sri Gayatri Devi on the second day of Dasara festivities at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada on Monday.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha visited the temple, inspected security arrangements and reviewed arrangements for Dasara festivities, Vijayawada Utsav 2.0 and National Saras Mela at the command control room set up at Model Guest House.
Police officials said 30 advanced dashboards are being used for monitoring while AI-enabled cameras, drones and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology have been deployed to track pilgrim movement, queues, parking and passenger rush at bus stations and railway stations. Almost 40 parking slota have been arranged.
Endowments Commissioner Ramachandra Mohan said coordinated measures are being taken by temple authorities and various departments to ensure safe and convenient darshan for all devotees, including ordinary pilgrims, with special focus on crowd management.
NTR District Collector G Lakshmisha is monitoring arrangements from the command control centre and reviewing crowd movement, queue management, drinking water supply, sanitation and security. Priests said Sri Gayatri Devi is regarded as the embodiment of the Vedas and source of all mantras and is depicted with five faces representing different colours and holding sacred attributes.
Meanwhile, arrangements are being made for the visit of President Droupadi Murmu and the presentation of silk robes to the goddess by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his family on Moola Nakshatram day.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is scheduled to visit Kanaka Durga temple on Tuesday evening.
In the Annapurna Devi Alankaram, Goddess Kanaka Durga is decorated with a feeding bowl and ladle to serve food while Lord Siva stands at her doorstep seeking alms. As presiding deity of ‘annam,’ she blesses devotees with food and conveys that even Lord Siva begged her to free himself from starvation.
Hunger symbolises the quest for gnana, and devotees praise her as provider of knowledge and vairagya with the chant Jnana vairagya sidhyartham biksham dehi cha Parvathi. Poojas are performed, and different eatables are offered as naivedyam.