Veggies, fruits adorn Vijayawada's Kanaka Durga temple as fete begins

VIJAYAWADA: The three-day annual Shakambari festivities started on a grand note at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanams (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri on Monday. The festival will end on July 13.

As part of the festivities, the temple and the presiding deity will be decorated with a variety of vegetables and fruits, and the goddess will be worshipped as Shakambari Devi.

Around 7:30 am, temple priests performed traditional rituals such as 'vigneswara puja', 'punyavachanam', 'akhanda deeparadhana', 'ankurarpanam', 'vastu homam' and 'kalasa sthapana' marking the start of the festivities.

Temple (EO) executive officer Darbamulla Bramarambha said the festival is a special occasion for transforming the presiding deity into Goddess Shakambari Devi, and devotees offer prayers and offerings to propitiate the goddess for abundant rains, good harvest and plentiful yield of vegetables.

She explained that the entire temple including the sanctum santorum will be decorated with fresh fruits and vegetables during the festival.

Ghat Road shut down for three days

Following continuous rains lashing the city since Saturday, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam on Monday stopped vehicular movement on the ghat road leading to the temple fearing landslides. As the road will remain closed till July 13, devotees were urged to reach the temple through Mallikarjuna Mahamandapam