VIJAYAWADA : Religious fervour and gaiety marked the three-day Shakambari Devi festival, which was concluded at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada on Sunday.
The annual festivities, which started on July 19, attracted huge crowds on the first and third day. On the last day, the temple priests performed Purnahut and other traditional rituals.
As the conclusion of the special festivities coincided with Guru Purnima, a large number of devotees visited the temple and offered special prayers to Shakambari Devi, who was decorated with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
More than 40,000 devotees visited the temple on the third day. Serpentine queues were witnessed in the morning hours, and devotees had to wait at least two hours for darshan of the presiding deity.
Speaking to TNIE, Durga temple executive officer (EO) KS Rama Rao explained the festival’s significance, stating that worshipping the deity in the form of Shakambari ensures abundant crops and good health for devotees. “The event was largely smooth as the temple authorities took all precautionary measures to manage the crowds. We made elaborate arrangements for the convenience of devotees visiting the temple. Kadambam prasadam was served to all the devotees,” he said.
As part of the tradition, priests performed rituals such as Saptashati havanam, Mahavidya Parayanam, Shanthi poustika homams, and other poojas, followed by Purnahuti, Kushmanda Bali, Maarjanamu, Kalasodwasana, and Asirvadam, marking the festival’s conclusion. KS Rama Rao, his wife, and other temple priests attended the ceremony.
The EO further thanked the police, municipal, and electricity department officials for their cooperation in the festival’s successful conduct.
Meanwhile, women devotees turned out in large numbers to present the traditional Ashadam Saare to the deity on the occasion of the auspicious Aashadam month.