VIJAYAWADA: The annual ritual of Bhavani Deeksha conferment will begin from November 15 and the relinquishment will be observed between December 25 and 29, said the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) executive officer D Bramarambha. Devotees will take the 41-day Bhavani Deeksha during the auspicious month of Karthika.
Addressing mediapersons here at Mallikharjuna Maha Mandapam on Sunday, the EO said the annual ritual will be conducted for five days from November 15 to 19 and the temple management was making arrangements atop Indrakeeladri and downhill to tackle the heavy rush of i devotees.
She said both the deeksha conferment and relinquishment process will be conducted on the lines of Dasara festival. She also said the priests would also confer Ardha Mandala deeksha (21 days deeksha) between December 5 and 9. “After observing 41 days of deeksha, devotees visit the temple on December 25 for relinquishment. Soon a coordination meeting will be convened with all line departments to discuss arrangements and budget estimates will be submitted related to works,” added the EO.
Rituals such as ‘Vigneshwara Puja,’ ‘Kalasa Sthapana’ and ‘Punyahavachanam’ will be performed in the temple signalling the commencement of the 41-day Bhavani deeksha on the temple premises on November 15. The EO also said that Agni Prathisthapana, Satha Chandi Homam and other rituals will be conducted as part of relinquishment. The annual ‘Kalasa Jyothi Utsavam’ of Lord Malleswara Swamy and His consort Goddess Kanaka Durga will be taken out in a palanquin from Indrakeeladri on December 25 and will be placed on a decorated van at Sivaramakrishna Kshetram from where the procession will begin. The procession will pass through the main thoroughfares of the city and reach Indrakeeladri. Purnahuti will be conducted on the temple premises on December 25 to mark the conclusion of Bhavani deeksha relinquishment.
The EO further highlighted the need for another tonsuring hall during the relinquishment process. “We are expecting a devotee rush of more than 8 lakh for five days and the existing tonsuring hall will not be sufficient to meet the demand. On the other hand, we are roping extra cooks to prepare sufficient Laddu prasadams for the devotees visiting the temple. If needed, we will increase darshan hours after consulting vedic committee members,” the EO explained.
She urged the devotees to adhere to Covid-19 safety protocol during their visit to the temple and also Giri Pradakshina. “We are preparing a route map for Giri Pradakshina with the help of the district collector,” she added. Temple trust board chairman Paila Sominaidu and other trust board members were present during the conference and unveiled the poster of Bhavani Deeksha Mahostavam -2021