VIJAYAWADA: Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMS) executive officer A Suryakumari has appealed to the state government to sanction Rs 10 crore for the conduct of Dasara Navaratri, one of the state’s important festivals. Since 2014, the state government had not been allocating funds for conducting Dasara Navaratri though it was termed a state festival, she said.The first committee meeting of the Durga temple trust board was held at Madapati guest house here on Wednesday under the supervision of the temple’s executive officer. As part of the meeting, the trustee board members discussed the preparatory measures to be taken for the smooth conduct of the nine-day festival and reviewed ongoing development projects taken up on the Indrakeeladri.
Addressing a press conference, Suryakumari said that emphasis would be laid on improving the quality of prasadam and facilities for the devotees who throng the temple during the festivities. Pulihora and tomato rice will be served to the devotees and we are also contemplating introducing sambar rice this year.Queues will be erected from the Ganesh temple on Canal road to provide hassle free darshan of the goddess to the devotees. Over the months, the devotees footfall has increased to the temple. “We are expecting 70,000 devotees per day during the Dasara festivities,” she said. The ongoing development works on Ghat road of Indrakeeladri are going on at a brisk pace.
Now, Kanakadurgamma app for devotees
Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMS) executive officer A Surya Kumari along with temple trust board chairman Gauranga Babu unveiled ‘Kanakadurgamma’ android mobile application developed by Visakhapatnam-based YTR Technologies here on Wednesday. Disclosing the functions of the app, YTR Technologies CEO Parama Siva Raju said that the mobile app will guide the devotees to know about the facilities being offered by the temple.
It has icons titled Darshan, Seva, Subscription, Donation, Store, Gallery, Panchangam, News and Events, Tours, Assistance, Foot fall of devotees on daily basis and more. The app facilitates the devotees to book the Mukha Mandapam Darshanam (Rs 100) and Anthralayam Darshan (Rs 300). Devotees can also enrol themselves for various sevas offered to the Goddess Kanaka Durga and can donate funds through the app. In addition, devotees can purchase the silk robes from the temple’s merchandise store and subscribe to the Kanakadurga temple magazine, he said.