VIJAYAWADA: DEVOTEES visiting the Kanaka Durga temple to have darshan of the Goddess, from far off places are facing serious problems with the ongoing construction of flyover and traffic diversions.
Adding to the woes, the temple authorities have now closed the ghat road leading to the Kanaka Durga Temple, atop the Indrakeeladri Hill here a few days ago and are carrying out demolition of the office structures to execute the temple master plan. The temple authorities are planning to develop a circulating area around the temple on the lines of ‘Mada Veedhi’ in Tirumala. In this regard, the authorities have demolished the queue line complex, shops and unnecessary structures on the Indrakeeladri Hill.
Temple authorities who are responsible for giving prior information about the closure of ghat road maintained silence leaving the devotees to fend for themselves. The buses operated by the temple management were being stopped near the Kanaka Durga Nagar. Apart from that the temple management has also been providing Nitya Annadanam to the devotees at Sringeri Mutt on Arjun Street. All the buses and vehicles were parked on Arjun Street leading to traffic congestion at the place.
Several devotees also have been complaining about the lack of proper road infrastructure from the temple main gate to Mallikharjuna Maha Mandapam located on the Arjun Street. “It is highly impossible for the elderly and women to reach the Indrakeeladri hill through the massive multi-storeyed Maha Mandapam. With continuous rains, the steps in Maha Mandapam are slippery. The temple authorities are not even allowing us to use the lift facility available at the Maha Mandapam,” alleged S Venkata Ratnam, devotee from Vizianagaram.
Meanwhile, a devotee K Kotaiah from Eluru expressed his ire over the temple authorities for their indifferent attitude towards the devotees. “I came to the temple along with my family to offer hair of my granddaughter to Goddess Kanaka Durga. However, I appealed to the officials to provide lift facility for my wife and daughter. The officials turned a deaf ear to my plea and forced us to travel via the Maha Mandapam. At least now, the temple authorities should look at the issue and provide lift facility for the elderly and women devotees,” he said.
When contacted, the temple assistant executive officer S Achyuta Ramaiah said that the ghat road will be opened for the devotees in the next few days after demolishing the office structures on the hilltop. Referring to the operation of lift facility at Maha Mandapam, he said orders were issued to operate lift facility for the elderly and women devotees. “However, others devotees must take the Maha Mandapam route until the works are completed,” he asserted.
Work on for circulating area
The temple authorities are planning to develop a circulating area around the temple on the lines of ‘Mada Veedhi’ in Tirumala. In this regard, the authorities have demolished the queue line complex, shops and unnecessary structures on the Indrakeeladri Hill.
PILGRIM WOES