All set for nine-day Dasara festivities

Vijayawada: Elaborate arrangements have been made for the successful conduct of nine-day Dasara celebrations from October 10 to 18 at Durga temple abode Indrakeeladri hillock.

The Endowments department in coordination with the revenue, the municipal, the police, the irrigation and other departments made arrangements for the nine-day festivities. On the first day, the presiding deity will be attired as Sri Swarna Kavachalankruta Sri Durgadevi Alankaram on Wednesday.

The temple administration is expecting 15 lakh devotees to visit the temple for the darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga to mark the annual Dasara celebrations. The highest number of devotees may attend on Mula Nakshatram day, which falls on October 14. The deity will be adorned as Sri Saraswathi Devi on that day.

The devotees may get big relief this year as the officials have decided to allow the devotees from the queue lines near the Boddu Rai junction on Canal Road instead of the traditional system at Vinayaka temple. Devotees raised hue and cry for many years due to the nearly 5-km long queue line from Vinayaka temple junction on Canal road to the temple atop Indrakeeladri.

Elderly people and children suffered many problems to stand in queue lines for two hours to complete the darshan. Keeping in view of the problems being faced by devotees, this year the devotees are allowed darshan from Arjuna sSreet point instead of Vinayaka temple. It will give relief to the devotees as the walking distance will come down.

Commissioner of Police Dwaraka Tirumala Rao told reporters that the devotees would be allowed from Arjuna Street during the non-peak days instead of Vinayaka temple centre. “I know that many devotees are suffering due to long queue lines and now they can get some relief with change of queue line starting point,” he added.

Temple Executive Officer V Koteswaramma said separate lines were arranged for the entry and exit of devotees. She said Ghat Road queue line would be used for the entry and steps and lifts for exit. She said no vehicle is allowed to pass on ghat road without pass.

Heavy bandobust is made with over 5,400 police personnel for the celebrations. About 4,000 police personnel from other districts and about 1,400 police from Krishna district are drafted for duty.

Commissioner of Police Dwaraka Tirumala Rao spoke to the staff on Tuesday at A R Grounds and Tummalapalli Kalakshetram and gave instructions about the duties to be performed by the police. He categorically told the police personnel that the common devotees are VIPs and the police have to serve them with utmost care.

Arrangements have been made for VIP darshan between 7 am to 8 am and again from 3 pm to 5 pm. After completing the formalities early morning, the devotees will be allowed into the temple at about 8 am on the first day.

Executive officer Koteswaramma along with the Trust Board chairman Gauranga Babu inspected the arrangements like Laddu Prasadam counters, water sachet distribution points, parking of vehicles, queue lines and other arrangements. She said the temple administration was spending Rs 8.3 crore for the festivities. Cultural programmes will be held at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram.