VIJAYAWADA: Elaborate arrangements are underway for the smooth conduct of the annual Bhavani Deeksha relinquishment ritual at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada, from December 21 to 25.
The ritual is expected to attract nearly 10 lakh devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and other states.
The NTR district administration and temple officials have intensified preparations to manage the large influx of devotees.
Temple Executive Officer (EO) KS Rama Rao, NTR District Commissioner of Police (CP) SV Rajashekhar Babu, and other officials recently conducted a review of the security and infrastructure arrangements. A special coordination committee meeting involving various departments was also held.
Queue lines have been established from Vinayaka Swamy Temple near Canal Road to the hilltop temple, while temporary sheds, drinking water points, toilets, and free milk distribution centres are being constructed quickly.
Commissioner of Police Rajashekhar Babu inspected the queue lines and recommended adjustments to alleviate congestion and prevent overcrowding.
To ensure smooth operations, the temple authorities have launched the ‘Bhavani Deeksha 2024’ mobile application, which provides detailed information on services such as darshan queue lines, ticket counters, prasadam distribution, and the giri pradakshina route.
Developed by Amaravathi Software Innovations Pvt Ltd, the app aims to make the relinquishment process easier for devotees.
Special crowd control measures include deploying volunteers, using drones for surveillance, and dynamically managing vehicle movements. Special care will be taken to ensure the availability of water, buttermilk, and milk in holding areas.
EO KS Rama Rao emphasised the use of technology and coordinated efforts for a hassle-free experience for devotees.