A huge number of devotees had darshan of the Goddess Kanaka Durga atop Indrakeeladri on the third day of Dasara festival on Thursday. A steady stream of VIPs visited the hill shrine amidst tight security.
Volunteers and security personnel controlled the crowds lined up in the queues from early morning. Being a ‘State festival’, officials concentrated on maintaining order on the temple premises and also cleanliness. They have posted nearly 130 employees of the temple and nearly 500 outsourced workers on cleaning duties at all places including the Ghat road.
To attend to the health problems faced by devotees, Medical & Health Department has set up a 24-hour medical camp near the Om turning and it roped in private hospitals also.
Muslims distributed butter milk packets under the aegis of a city-based NGO ‘Youth Welfare Andhra Pradesh’.
Ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Kamineni Srinivas, Central Vigilance Commissioner K.V. Chowdary and other important persons had darshan of the Goddess in ‘Gayatri Alankaram’. Vijayawada West MLA Jaleel Khan presented silk saris to the Goddess.
On the occasion, he complimented the government for celebrating the auspicious event as a ‘State festival’.
Meanwhile, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam Executive Officer Ch. Narasinga Rao said ‘Lakshakumkumarchana’ would be performed on ‘Moola Nakshatram’ on October 19. On the third, ticket sales fetched nearly Rs. 15.19 lakh and ‘Prasadam’ sale Rs. 4.59 lakh.
