Heavy rush at Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada on Moola Nakshatram day

As many as 58,714 devotees had darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga on Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada by 8 a.m. on Friday (October 16, 2026), the auspicious Moola Nakshatram day, when the presiding deity is worshipped in the form of Goddess Saraswati.

The temple authorities have made elaborate arrangements to facilitate the darshan of an estimated 2.5 lakh to three lakh devotees during the day. The district administration, police and Endowments Department have coordinated their efforts to ensure the smooth and safe movement of devotees and have given priority to ordinary pilgrims.

Officials said 450 CCTV cameras had been installed to monitor the pilgrim rush continuously through a modern command control centre. Drinking water, buttermilk, biscuits and annaprasadam were being distributed at holding points and along queue lines.

Alternative arrangements had also been made to facilitate darshan through the Mahamandapam in the event of rain. A special technical team was monitoring the condition of rocks on the hill to ensure the safety of devotees. About 3,500 police personnel were already on duty, and an additional 900 were deployed for Moola Nakshatram.

Hourly bulletins on waiting times and other relevant information would be issued through the command control room, and digital screens at various locations would keep devotees informed. Data analytics was being used to estimate darshan waiting times.

VIP passes had been cancelled for the day to give priority to ordinary devotees, officials said.

Endowments Commissioner K. Ramachandra Mohan said the number of devotees visiting the temple had increased compared with the previous year. The authorities had adopted technology-based measures to address problems promptly and introduced a QR-code feedback system to improve services.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to offer silk robes to the Goddess between 4 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.