Adequate arrangements, in adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines, have been made atop Indrakeeladri hill to facilitate a hassle-free darshan to devotees during the Dasara festivities, says Brahmin Corporation Chairman and Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu.
The 10-day Dasara festival began at the Kanaka Durga temple on Saturday, and the Goddess was worshipped as ‘Swarna Kavachalankruta Durga Devi’ on the first day of the festival.
Addressing the media, Mr. Vishnu expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by the officials for a hassle-free darshan to the devotees who visit the temple during the festivities from far flung areas. He said without making any compromise on the COVID-19 guidelines, the devotees were being sent in for darshan.
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The previous year, the temple witnessed a crowd of 80,000 devotees on each of the 10 days of the festivities, he said. But this year, in view of the pandemic, a system had been put in place to allow darshan to only 10,000 devotees in a day. Traditional rituals such as offering of hair and a holy dip in the river had also been done away with, he informed.
The MLA said to spare the devotees the problem of heavy traffic during the festival days, the Kanaka Durga flyover was opened to divert vehicular movement.
He said, with the blessings of the Goddess, the State had witnessed copious rains, and he was hopeful that the farmers would progress and thrive with good crop yield and adequate returns on them.
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