VIJAYAWADA: The five-day Bhavani Deeksha Viramana began on a grand note at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri here on Saturday. Right from dawn, scores of devotees from neighbouring districts thronged the hill shrine to relinquish their 41-day or 21-day Bhavani deeksha.
The devotees are allowed to have darshan of the presiding deity after 8:30 am, after performing Agni Pratishtapana and other traditional rituals by the priests amidst recitation of Vedic hymns in the presence of temple executive officer V Koteswaramma and trust board committee chairman Y Gowranga Babu. Initially, devotees performed the ‘Giripradakshina’ and had a holy dip in the River Krishna before thronging the hill shrine. Around 250 Guru Bhavanis from various parts of the State are appointed specially by the temple authorities for deeksha viramana.
Devotees put coconuts and other puja material contained in the ‘Irumudi’, into the homagundam set up at Mallikarjuna Mandapam down the hill after Agni Pratishtapana was done. To ensure hassle-free darshan for devotees, temple authorities had stopped allowing the devotees from Mallikarjuna Maha Mandapam and they were allowed in the 2-km length queue lines erected from canal road waiting for their turn to have darshan of the presiding deity through ghat road.
“We are expecting nearly six lakh devotees to visit the shrine for the relinquishment of deeksha. The rush of devotees is expected to reach its peak on Sunday and Monday. Around 40 Irumudi counters have been set up for the convenience of devotees. Devotees will be allowed to have darshan of the Goddess from 2 am to 11 pm from Sunday until January 2,” Koteswaramma said.
The EO informed that elaborate arrangements are being made to supply as many as laddus and pulihora prasadam to the devotees this time. She said that 40 counters have been opened considering the past experience of dissatisfaction among the devotees of not getting enough laddus.
Measures are being taken to provide free meals to at least 40,000 devotees per day at the temple and Sringeri Peetham at Mallikarjuna Pet. Free buses were arranged from Railway Station and Bus Stand for the convenience of elderly and physically challenged devotees, she said.
‘Barbers fleecing devotees’
On the first day of Bhavani Deeksha Viramana, several Guru Bhavanis vented their ire at the temple officials for not making arrangements to preserve the sacred rice brought by the Bhavani devotees in their Irumudi. Due to lack of facilities, the sacred rice was left on the floor and people stamped on it hurting the sentiments of devotees. Meanwhile, majority of devotees also complained that barbers at the tonsure hall are fleecing them.
Number crunching
85,000
Bhavani devotees relinquished their deeksha by 6 pm
2 am to 11:30 pm: Darshan timings for devotees
6 lakh
Bhavani devotees expected to relinquish their deeksha until January 2
1.5 lakh
Laddus kept ready for devotees
0877-6453800: Devotees can contact in case of any grievance
18004259099: Kanaka Durga Temple toll-free number