VIJAYAWADA: Lapses and mismanagement marred the third day of the annual Dasara festivities at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri, drawing criticism from devotees who accused temple officials of failing to uphold traditions and protocol.
The lapses were attributed to poor coordination and communication between the Endowments and Police Departments. Over the past three days, devotees have raised serious concerns over repeated violations during the high-profile visits.
One such incident occurred on Monday during Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan’s visit, which coincided with the sacred nivedana (offering) ritual. Priests requested him to wait until the ritual concluded, however Endowments Commissioner Ramachandra Mohan, Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and other senior officials escorted him inside the sanctum before completion of the ritual. “It is a sacred ritual and no one should enter inside the sanctum sanctorum. These kinds of incidents have become a regular affair,” a temple priest asserted.
In another incident on Wednesday, three youths were found roaming inside the temple with slippers. Devotees alleged that despite the presence of officials, police personnel and security staff, the breach went unnoticed. Observers said the negligence raised questions about the vigilance of authorities, noting that festival protocols strictly prohibit footwear inside temple premises. How the youths managed to bypass checks remains unclear.
On Wednesday, Goddess Kanaka Durga was adorned in the Alankaram of Sri Annapurna Devi. More than 65,000 devotees had the darshan of Ammavaru. Temple officials said income from the day touched Rs 31 lakh through the sale of darshan tickets, laddu prasadams and special poojas.
Temple EO VK Seena Naik revealed that timings for protocol darshan had been modified. “In three timing slots, protocol darshan is being facilitated for the convenience of devotees visiting the temple,” he said.