Over 90,000 devotees attend first day of Sarannavaratri festivities atop Indrakeeladri

VIJAYAWADA

As many as 90,110 devotees had darshan of Goddess Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Devi at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada by 6:08 p.m. on Sunday, the first day of Sarannavaratri festivities.

The hill temple witnessed religious fervour as devotees arrived in large numbers to seek the blessings of Goddess Kanaka Durga. Temple authorities coordinated arrangements to facilitate darshan and provide essential amenities to the devotees.

Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Kanumuru Raghurama Krishna Raju visited the temple and offered prayers. Describing the darshan as a memorable spiritual experience, he said it brought him peace and satisfaction. He prayed for the happiness, good health, peace and prosperity of the people of Andhra Pradesh.

As part of the festivities, the Sri Kalahasteeswara Swamy temple at Srikalahasti presented silk robes and traditional ‘saare’ to Goddess Kanaka Durga. The offerings were made by executive officer B.K. Venkateswarlu, Srikalahasti MLA Bojjala Sudheer Reddy and the temple board members, who prayed for the welfare of the people.

A delegation from Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy temple at Kanipakam also presented silk robes to the goddess on Sunday evening. Led by executive officer Penchala Kishore, the team of trustees and priests was welcomed by temple Chairman Borra Radhakrishna and Executive Officer Seena Naik, and was later honoured with Vedic blessings, prasadam and a portrait of the deity.

Meanwhile, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) said comprehensive arrangements had been made to ensure a smooth conduct of the festivities. Speaking at the Indrakeeladri media point, he said uninterrupted drinking water supply, round-the-clock monitoring and interdepartmental coordination were in place.

A control room was monitoring the situation continuously, while QR codes were being used to collect feedback from devotees and enable officials to address complaints promptly, he added

The MP urged all departments to work together to ensure hassle-free darshan throughout the Sarannavaratri celebrations.