Indrakeeladri sees surge in devotees on third day of Dasara festivities

Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam witnessed a slight surge in the turnout of devotees on the third day of Dasara festivities on Wednesday. Nearly 58,000 devotees thronged the hillock as the Kanaka Durga temple was thrown open for darshan from the early hours. The temple authorities cancelled ₹500 tickets and the VIP darshan slot in the afternoon in view of Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan’s visit.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the Srikalahasti temple, MLA Bojjala Sudheer Kumar Reddy and temple executive officer (EO) T. Bapireddy presented silk clothes and saris to ‘Annapurna Devi’. They prayed for the State’s prosperity and continued development and emphasised that VIPs should visit at scheduled times to avoid inconvenience to other devotees.

The Kanaka Durga temple priests adorned the presiding deity as Goddess Annapurna Devi. “In this form, Annapurna Devi is depicted offering alms to her husband, Lord Siva, holding a golden vessel containing divine food. Devotees believe that meditating on the Goddess in this manifestation alleviates hunger and brings wealth, prosperity, and spiritual fulfilment. The goddess’s Akshaya Patra is said to bestow all auspicious blessings upon her devotees,” the priests explained.

This special form of Annapurna Devi, personally providing food to her devotees, highlights the sacred connection between sustenance, divine grace, and worldly prosperity. The Sharannavaratri festival continues to inspire devotion, generosity, and reverence for the goddess who ensures that no being remains deprived of nourishment, they said.

Devotees waiting in queue lines to have a darshan of the Goddess Kanaka Durga atop Indrakeeladri.
| Photo Credit:
K.V.S. GIRI

Smoothly managed queue lines allowed devotees to move steadily, chanting “Jai Durga Bhavani” as they approached the sanctum. During the festival, which begins in the Ashwayuja month, the Goddess is worshipped in various divine forms. 

State Legislative Deputy Speaker Kanumuri Raghurama Krishna Raju visited the temple to participate in the festivities and was presented with the deity’s portrait and sacred ‘prasadam’ by Vedic scholars. Chittoor MLA Gurjala Jagan Mohan also sought blessings during the celebrations.

Palasa MLA Gouthu Sireesha appreciated the arrangements, highlighting that the government had ensured devotees could have a smooth darshan experience. District Collector G. Lakshmisha actively supervised the arrangements, coordinating with officials to resolve any issues on the spot, managing crowd flow, and ensuring prasadam distribution ran smoothly. Joint Collector S. Ilakkiya monitored the preparation and distribution of the divine food prasadam, ensuring high standards were maintained.

Devotees from across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and other regions participated in large numbers.