Vijayawada: District officials gear up for Bhavani Deeksha Viramana

Vijayawada: The district administration is making necessary arrangements for Bhavani devotees who would land here from Tuesday.

District Collector A Md Imtiaz, presiding over the coordination meeting with the officials of various departments at his camp office here on Sunday, went through the various infrastructure facilities to be provided to the devotees from January 5 to 9.

The coordination meeting has decided to provide Darshan of the presiding deity from 4 am to 8 pm every day for the Bhavani Deeksha devotees on all the five days. The devotees need to take online ticket and carry any identification card with them. The online tickets could be obtained on www.kanakadurgamma.org or mobile app kanakadurgamma.

The devotees should wear masks and maintain social distance. As per the covid-19 regulations, children below ten years and elders above 65 years, physically handicapped, pregnant women would not be allowed for Darshan.

During the five days, only 10,000 devotees would be allowed for Darshan per day at the rate of 9,000 tickets for Bhavani Deeksha devotees and 1,000 for regular devotees.

The meeting has decided to stop Giri Pradakshina, and offering of hair, holy dip in river due to the pandemic. The queue line would start at Vinayaka temple on canal road following the covid-19 guidelines. The devotees may submit Irumudi to the deity at the temple and Deeksha Viramana could be performed at their own villages in the presence of the Guru Bhavanis.

The officials were instructed to arrange temporary toilets for the convenience of the devotees at various places.

The district medical and health department would arrange medical camps at five places. Free Prasadam would be distributed in packets to the devotees from 6 am to 6 pm. Arrangements were made to distribute 10,000 laddus to the devotees every day. Social distance should be maintained at the Prasadam counters. Irumudi points and Homagundam were set up at the Mahamandapam at the foot of the hill for the convenience of the devotees.