The nine-day Dasara festivities at the Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri began on a subdued note here on Thursday, with pilgrims turning out in fewer numbers. The presiding deity was adorned as ‘Swarna Kavachalankrita Sri Kanaka Durga Devi’ on the first day.
The turnout of devotees on the first day of the festival was poor compared to previous years. Even though barricading was done for a stretch of more that 3 km – from Canal Road to the temple – the queue lines were rather slim. The scenario was the same at the bathing ghats.
Queue lines were full in the early hours, as the temple authorities did not throw open the sanctum sanctorum for darshan according to the schedule announced. The rush, however, picked up by evening.
Festivities began with ‘Suprabhata Seva’ at 3 a.m., which was followed by ‘Snapanabhishekam’ at 3.30 a.m. and ‘Balabhoga Nivedana’ at 6.30 a.m. The temple was thrown open to devotees by 9 a.m. Pilgrims reached the temple in the morning and joined the ‘dharma darshan’ queue after taking a holy dip in the Krishna. Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and TDP leaders reached the temple through general queue line and had a darshan of the deity.
Officials said they expected a steady increase in pilgrim rush over the next few days, and it could see a surge on the auspicious ‘Moola Nakshatram’ day on October 1.
