Officials from the Endowments, Police, Revenue departments and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation on Monday reviewed the arrangements for the nine-day Dasara festival at the Kanaka Durga temple at Indrakeeladri, begining October.
Children aged below ten and devotees aged above 60 are barred from having darshan at the temple during the festival. There will be no separate darshan for Bhavanis (devotees who took ‘Bhavani Deeksha’) this year due to COVID, the officials said.
The temple officials have made arrangements for darshan for 10,000 devotees daily. Devotees can book tickets in advance at http://aptemples.ap.gov.in. Queue lines would be arranged from Vinayaka temple. Information centres, prasadam counters, drinking water facilities would be set up for the devotees, said the temple officials.
All the bathing ghats will be closed and there is no permission for devotees to take bath in Krishna river. Showers will be arranged at Seetammavari Padalu and devotees can offer hair at Saneeswara Swamy temple.
Police pickets will be arranged at bus and railway stations, queue lines, ghat road, Arjuna Veedhi and other vital points, Police Commissioner B. Srinivasulu said. “Police will monitor the situation round-the-clock at the temple and at all important junctions,” he added.
Devotees can alert police by calling ‘Dial 100’ or drop a text on Vijayawada City Police’s WhatsApp no.7328909090 if they see anyone moving suspiciously, he said, adding that traffic diversions would be imposed during the festival.
Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivas, Collector J. Nivas, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam Trust Board Chairman Paila Sominaidu, Mayor K. Bhagya Lakshmi, Police Commissioner B. Srinivasulu, Principal Secretary (Endowments) G. Vani Mohan, VMC Commissioner V. Prasanna Venkatesh reviewed the arrangements.