VIJAYAWADA: The presiding deity Kanaka Durga Devi blessed the devotees in Sri Annapurna Devi avataram at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri on the third day of Dasara festivities on Tuesday.
More than 30,000 pilgrims thronged to the devasthanam. According to temple officials, the temple received a revenue of Rs 25.8 lakh (till 5 p.m.) through the sale of darshan tickets and laddu prasadams. Devotees were allowed to have the darshan of Sri Annapurna Devi from morning 5 a.m.
Goddess Kanaka Durga is decorated as Sri Annapurna Devi with a feeding bowl and spatula (ladle) in her hands to serve food and Lord Shiva stands at her doorstep requesting her to feed him the food. Sri Annapurna Devi, who is the presiding deity of ‘anna’ (food), in this attire, blesses her devotees with abundant food. “With this alankaram, the Goddess wants to convey the message to devotees that Lord Siva himself begged her for some food, and made himself free from starvation. The only mother who feeds all the creatures is Sri Annapoorna Devi,” said the temple head priest Vishnubhotla Siva Prasad Sharma.
Minister for Civil Supplies Karumuru Nageswara Rao and others visited the temple and offered special prayers to the Goddess. They also inspected the arrangement works atop Indrakeeladri and expressed their satisfaction with the facilities being provided to the pilgrims thronging the temple from various places across Andhra Pradesh and other states.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed for a while atop Indrakeeladri when the devotees noticed empty liquor bottles in one of the washrooms in the temple. The devotees further expressed their displeasure for hurting their religious sentiments. They took the issue to concerned officials who instructed the duty police to monitor the activities of temple staff and other workers.
According to temple officials, the temple received an income of Rs 34.08 lakh on Monday of which Rs 10.54 lakh were made from the sale of Rs 500 darshan tickets, Rs 8.34 through the sale of Rs 300 darshan tickets, Rs 2.98 lakh from the sale of Rs 100 darshan tickets, Rs 9.7 lakh from the sale of laddu prasadams.
Sri Mahalakshmi Devi avataram today
The Goddess adorned as Sri Mahalakshmi Devi will be decorated with ornaments. An elephant, which is the symbol of wisdom, a balanced and mature mind, not to be deterred under any condition, is found at her feet. Sri Mahalakshmi Devi was born out of the Ksheera saagara, a sea of milk, when it was churned, showers her devotees with sarva soubhagya (all worldly pleasures) and Ashta Aishwaryas (eight treasures) and ashta siddhis