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[/caption]VIJAYAWADA (విజయవాడ): Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanams, chief custodian of Goddess Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri Hills, is fully geared up for the conduct of the 10-day Dasara festival, which will commence on October 13.
The temple and all other structures on the hills have been spruced up and several engineering works, taken up at a cost of Rs 1.7 cr to create better facilities for the pilgrims visiting the temple during the festival, have been completed.
The 10-day festival, expected to be attended by around 10 lakh devotees from across the country, will commence with ‘Snapanabhishekarm’ in the early hours of October 13, the first day of the festival and ‘sarva darshan’ will commence be permitted from 9 am onwards.
Briefing newsmen about the arrangements made at the Kanaka Durga temple for the festival, Executive Officer Ch Narasinga Rao said that on all the 10 days of the festival, except on the day of ‘Moola Nakshatra’ (the sixth day of the festival falling on October 19), ‘sarva darshan’ would be be permitted from 3 am to 11 pm and on the day of Moola Nakshatra it would commence at 2 am.
The special’ Kumkumarchana’ to be performed on all the 10 days would be organised at the Bhavani Deeksha Mandapam, he said and added that the ticket-holders (while online sale of tickets, priced at Rs 3, 000 each, have been completed, the counter sales of the same commenced on October 1) would have to attend the ritual on the day they had opted for. The devotees participating in ‘Kumkumarchana’ would be presented a laminated photo of Goddess Kanaka Durga, a ‘Kukuma Bharani’, a ‘dhoti’ and a saree, and two ‘Srichakra laddus’, he added.
