The Bhavani (Sri Kanakadurga) devotees thronged Indrakeeladri on Sunday which marked the beginning of the deeksha. There was heavy rush at Durga Ghat as the devotees began taking a dip in the Krishna from early hours of the day.
The hillock was caught in deeksha fervour as the devotees, attired in the sacred red robes, reached Bhavani Mandapam chanting the various names of goddess Durga.
Rituals began with the bringing out of Utsava Murthulu, the processional deities of the goddess and her consort, to Bhavani Mandapam and conducting of Vighneswara Puja. Rituals such as ‘Vighneswara Pooja,' ‘Kalasa Sthapana' and ‘Punyahavachanam' were performed indicating the beginning of the 41-day ‘deeksha'. The rituals continued for over two hours.
Later, the temple priests conferred deeksha on the devotees by chanting Vedic hymns.
The Bhavanis, as they will now be called, went around the temples, including those of Kanaka Durga, Malleswara Swami, Nataraja, Vinayaka, Subrahmanya Swami and Anjaneya Swami, on the hillock. The temple management provided breakfast to the devotees who took deeksha.
