Dasara festivities begin with religious fervour in Visakhapatnam

Dasara festivities began with religious fervour and traditional gaiety across the city on Sunday, with temples, residential colonies and gated communities coming alive with devotional activities and cultural celebrations on the first day of Navaratri.

Prominent temples, including Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Temple at Burujupeta and Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Temple near the Old Post Office, and several others witnessed a large influx of devotees from the early hours. Celebrations were accompanied by traditional and cultural programmes. Folk artistes performed mythological-themed jaathara presentations as part of the inaugural-day festivities, drawing the attention of devotees and adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

Women dressed in traditional attire thronged the temples to offer prayers to the presiding deities and seek their blessings as the nine-day festival commenced. Devotees carried traditional kalasas on their heads as part of the religious rituals. Long queues of devotees were witnessed at various temples, with people waiting for darshan. Special prayers and rituals were organised at several places to mark the auspicious beginning of Navaratri.

The festive spirit extended beyond temples, with residents of several colonies and gated communities making elaborate arrangements to celebrate the festival collectively. Idols of Goddess Durga and other deities were installed at designated locations in residential neighbourhoods, where residents gathered to offer prayers and participate in the festivities. These community celebrations brought together families, with women and children participating in traditional rituals and cultural programmes.

Several gated communities organised Bathukamma celebrations, with women gathering in traditional attire around flower arrangements to celebrate the floral festival with devotional songs and group activities. Some residential communities also organised Kumari Puja, a ritual in which young girls are worshipped as manifestations of the divine feminine.

Special prayers were also organised at Waltair Kali Bari, where a large number of Bengali families gathered to offer prayers to Goddess Durga, continuing a tradition observed by the community every year during Navaratri.

Meanwhile, the Sagara Durga Temple in the Port area also witnessed a large turnout of devotees on the first day of Navaratri. The temple attracts a considerable number of visitors during the festival, and boating facilities are provided as part of the annual festivities, making it an additional attraction for devotees and visitors.