Devotees in red robes throng Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada to take Bhavani Deeksha
The Hindu
Priests will continue deeksha conferment till Kartika pournami on November 8
:
The conferment of Bhavani Deeksha began at Mallikarjuna Maha Mandapam of Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri here on Friday.
The conferment concludes on November 8, Kartika pournami.
The hillock was caught in deeksha fervour as devotees in red robes thronged Bhavani Mandapam chanting the various names of Goddess Durga. The rituals began with the bringing out of the processional deities of the Goddess and her Consort, to Bhavani Mandapam, and conducting Vighneswara Puja, Kalasa Sthapana and Punyahavachanam. The two-hour rituals marked the beginning of the 41-day deeksha.
As devotees took a holy bath in the Krishna and lined up at the temple, the priests conferred deeksha on them by chanting Vedic hymns.
The priests confer the deeksha from Kartika Suddha Ekadasi to Pournima.
The Bhavanis, as they will now be called, went round the Kanaka Durga and Malleswara Swamy temples and other sub-temples on the hillock.