The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Arrangements in full swing for Dasara festivities

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Arrangements in full swing for Dasara festivities

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, OCT. 13. Arrangements are being made for eight lakh devotees to take dharshan of Goddess Kanakadurga during the Dasara festival that begins on October 15. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, the Executive Officer of the Durga-Malleswaraswamivarla Devasthanams, E. Gopalakrishna Reddy, said the festival was would be held only for eight days this year instead of the usual nine days, because `Maharnavami' and `Vijayadasami' fell on the same day (October 22). A large number of pilgrims were expected as this was also the year of Krishna pushkarams. About six lakh devotees had dharsan of the Goddess during Dasara last year, he said.

Queue system

Mr. Reddy said Rs. 42 lakhs had been spent to improve the temple queue system. The old iron railings had been replaced by stainless steel ones. The Durga and Malleswaraswami temples would be kept open for 20 hours, from 3 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the festival days. The Durga temple would, however, be open to pilgrims only from 8 a.m. on the first day of the festival. The temple doors would be kept closed till that time for the completion of `Snaapanaabishekam.' Besides free dharshanam, devotees could purchase tickets worth Rs. 5, Rs. 25 and Rs. 100 for special dharshanams. Devotees who wanted dharshanam on all the eight days would have to pay Rs. 500. They would be allowed to take dharshanam between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. and between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Devotees who wanted to buy tickets worth Rs. 5 and Rs. 25 would have to join the queue at the tollgate and come up the hill on the ghat road. Devotees who wanted dharma dharshanam would have to join the queue at Radham Centre and come from the Malleswaraswami temple side along a special queue arranged for them. Devotees with Rs. 100, Rs. 500 and Rs 1,000 (for couples) tickets could enter the Durga temple through the queue at the Rajagopuram. Arrangements were being made to provide those in queues protection from rain and sun, Mr. Reddy said. Ubhayadathas who desired to perform the `lakhakumkumarchana' on `Moolanakshatram' day would have to pay Rs. 5,000, Mr. Reddy said. As many as 132 Ubhayadhathas had registered for Kumkumarchana on Moolanakshatram day and 520 had registered for it on the remaining seven days, he said. About 2,500 devotees would be offered prasadam as part of the Annadanam programme during the first four days and 4,000 devotees during the last four days, he said.

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