Dasara festival at Indrakeeladri’s Kanaka Durga temple concludes

Dasara festivities at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam in Vijayawada conclude with vibrant Teppotsavam celebration.

The ten-day Dasara festivities concluded at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam in Vijayawada on Saturday (October 12, 2024).

Usually, the celebrations conclude with the ‘Teppotsavam’, the celestial boat ride, of goddess Kanaka Durga and her consort Malleswara Swamy, on Vijaya Dasami.  However, the Kanaka Durga temple administration could not conduct the Teppotsavam due to flood waters reaching the Prakasam Barrage constructed across river Krishna.

The temple authorities could not conduct the complete boat ride of a minimum of three rounds in the river Krishna. The temple priests merely placed the processional deities on the illuminated boat, which was anchored near the Durga ghat. Amidst the recitation of Vedic hymns by temple priests, the One Town police, in tune with the age-old tradition, brought the processional deities to the riverbank. The deities were brought in a palanquin from the hillock to the Durga ghat.

A sea of humanity witnessed the ‘Teppotsavam’ and the environs of Durga ghat and Prakasam barrage reverberated with the chanting of ‘Bhavani Mata Ki Jai’. A razzmatazz of colour and pageantry of firecrackers added spiritual fervor, and it was the ultimate event of the celebrations. As the sky turned darker, firecrackers exploded, presenting a splendid view, and its reflections in the Krishna presented a splendid view. The event rang the curtains down on the Dasara.

The Dasara festivities were a smooth affair. The officials could ensure a hassle-free darshan for common devotees throughout the festival, including on the Moola nakshatram day, when pilgrim rush peaks, as VIP darshans were not allowed on the day.

The devotee turnout on Moola Nakshtram day was less compared to previous years. About 1.5 lakh devotees thronged the hill on Moola Nakshtram day. The rush, usually, would be around 1.80 lakh to 2 lakh on Moola Nakshatram day. The devotee rush, however, swelled on the last day, Vijayadasami day, on Saturday (October 12, 2024). More than 1.7 lakh devotees visited the temple. The rush could be witnessed in all nooks and corners of the Indrakeeladri. The queue lines were filled with devotees, and took more than 4 to 5 hours for darshan.

The rush of Bhavani devotees increased at Kanaka Durga temple, and the premises were filled with thousands of Bhavani devotees wearing red robes. Hundreds of devotees, mainly from north coastal Andhra, were seen visiting the temple to relinquish their deeksha. Some of them chose padayatra to offer special prayers on Dasara day. Though temple authorities did not provide any special arrangements for relinquishment, devotees were offering irumudi (a two-pocket sack filled with rice, etc) at the temple premises.