VIJAYAWADA: The three-day annual Shakambari Devi festival will commence at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri on Saturday. The authorities of the Durga temple have made elaborate arrangements in order to make the festival a huge success. It may be noted that Goddess Durga takes the form of Mother Shakambari, where she is adorned with green leaves and vegetables, during the annual three-day fete.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the temple executive officer (EO) Darbamulla Bramarambha said that the temple will be decorated with vegetables and fruits for the three days. “Shakambari Devi festival is a special occasion for transforming the presiding deity goddess Kanaka Durga into goddess Shakambari Devi in Ashada masam of Telugu calendar. We are expecting more than one lakh devotees to visit the temple during the festivities,” she stated.
In connection with this, traders in the city, devotees and farmers from various places have donated vegetables for the festival in advance. The devotees believe that Shakambari festival is an occasion to propitiate her for bountiful rain and good harvest of food, grains, and vegetables. The temple authorities have spruced up the temple precincts with vegetables of all kinds, including brinjal, cucumber, green chillies, carrot, and leafy vegetables.
The presiding deity has been decked up before the authorities throw open the temple for darshan on Saturday morning after performing Vigneswara Puja, Ruthvik Varuna, Punyavachanam, Akhanda Deeparadhana, Vastu Homam and Kalasa Sthapana.
The journey
What had started on a modest note in 2007 at Kanaka Durga temple has turned into a grand affair after more than a decade. The donations were fewer than 10 tonnes when the new tradition was introduced.
“As the ritual gained popularity and acceptance, devotees and traders from various places began flooding the Indrakeeladri and donating vegetables and fruits during the festival,” said the EO Bramarambha. The ritual slowly spread to other temples. A new trend of propitiating the gods set in. As many as 90 temples have adopted these practices across Krishna district so far.
It is said that the goddess in the Shakambari avatar had defeated Dhuroorudu, the demon of drought, and shed tears on seeing the travails of people, which led to a glut of foodgrain and vegetables. The goddess, who was in Shakambari avatar, donated her organs to Earth to ensure that food grows even during the drought.