Devotees invited for Dasara fete in AP

VIJAYAWADA:  Executive officer (EO) Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) Darbamulla Bramarambha on Friday sent invitations for the 10-day Dasara festivities to be held at the temple from September 26 to October 5. Addressing the media, the EO said elaborate arrangements are being made for the grand celebration atop Indrakeeladri and stated that more than 80 percent of the works were completed by Friday.

She further said works such as laying queue lines from Canal road stretch and temporary shelters for devotees were completed. More than 10 lakh devotees are expected to visit the temple during the festivities. The devotees will be provided sambar rice, jaggery pongal and curd rice as Anna Prasadam. Bramarambha said utmost care was taken while laying of queue lines, temporary sheds, bathing ghats, water supply points, tonsuring hall, toilets and kitchen to prepare Laddu prasadam.

“Only minor works are remaining and it will be completed in a couple of days according to the directions of the Dasara festival coordination committee. Temple will be decorated with special lights. Separate queue lines arranged for Rs 300, Rs 100 darshanam ticket holders and VIPs. Around 800 bathing showers have been arranged at Durga Ghat and battery-powered vehicles will be used to ferry senior citizens and physically-challenged devotees,” she added.

The deity will be decorated as Swarna Kavachalankrita Durga Devi on the first day of the festival on Ashwayuja Suddha Padyami as per the Telugu almanack.The Goddess Kanaka Durga will be decorated as Bala Tripura Sundari on September 27, as Gayatri Devi on September 28, Annapoorna Devi on September 29 and as Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari on September 30.

The deity will be decorated as Sri Maha Lakshmi on October 1, Sri Sarswati Devi on October 2, Sri Durga Devi on October 3, Sri Mahishasura Mardhini on October 4 and Sri Raja Rajeswari Devi on October 5. The festivities conclude with the celestial boat ride of Goddess Kanaka Durga and Lord Malleswara Swamy in the Krishna river on a swan boat.

Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit the temple on October 2 on auspicious Moolanakshatram (birth star of Goddess Kanaka Durga) and present traditional clothes on behalf of the State government. She said additional prasadam counters will be set up at various places to reduce rush. “We are gearing up to prepare 21 lakh laddu prasadams,” the EO said.