Durga Temple lagging behind

Vijayawada: The authorities of Sri Kanaka Durga temple are lagging behind in taking up development works though the Krishna Pushkarams are fast approaching.

Several proposals of the officials are still in planning stage and may not be materialised as five months left for completion of the works.

While the state government is keen on completing the flyover near Kanaka Durga Temple ghat road before Pushkaram keeping in view the turnout of lakhs of devotees, the development works are not in sight at Durga Temple.

The temple officials are planning to develop a circulating area around the temple on the lines of Mada Street in Tirumala and construct a museum displaying jewellery of the presiding deity.

According to temple sources, no proposals were received so far for development works for Krishna Pushakaram and it would be difficult to complete the works before Krishna Pushkaram.

Meanwhile, devotees are expressing ire over the indifferent attitude of temple authorities in providing facilities to the devotees. They express ire over wastage of temple funds and not utilising the Mallikharjuna Mahamandapam constructed at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

The Mallikharjuna Mahamandapam, aimed to accommodate queue complex, dormitories and marriage halls, is lying idle for the past three years though the works were completed.

The temple authorities are not allowing old and sick devotees to use the lift at the Mallikharjuna Mahamandapam to reach the temple directly.

A devotee, K Satyanarayana of Eluru, expressed surprise over congestion at the entrance of the temple with coconut shops encroaching majority of the space. He said the temple officials had failed to provide circulating area at the second biggest temple in the state by demolishing unnecessary buildings surrounding the temple. He said devotees coming from far off places are suffering due to lack of facilities at the temple.

He said that the temple authorities could use the Mallikharjuna Mahamandapam and allow people to perform marriage and provide dormitory facilities for the convenience of devotees. He said that the temple officials had failed to provide pandals on the ghat road to provide shelter to devotees.

An official who prefers to be anonymous said that they have no say in the policies designed for the development works of the temple and the decisions would be taken at Hyderabad.

Another devotee, K Visweswara Rao of Tenali, said that the temple authorities should remove unnecessary buildings and shops around the temple to improve circulating area around the temple and provide pleasant atmosphere by developing greenery.

He expressed ire that the devotees are left with no alternative but to wait in queue on the temporarily arranged queue barricades on canal road in odd weather conditions during festivals.