Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Pilgrim rush peaks at Durga temple

Staff Reporter

Row over collection of entry charges from those carrying recommen-dation letters

VIJAYAWADA: A significant rise in pilgrim rush on Indrakeeladri marked the sixth day of the Dasara Navaratri festival at Kanakadurgamma temple on Thursday. The goddess gave darshan to her devotees in the form of `Sri Mahalakshmi Devi.' Women and senior citizens waited at Asoka Pillar Centre, the starting point of vehicles going to the temple. Though all the 15 special vehicles were moving on the ghat road, the number waiting pilgrims swelled by the afternoon.

A heated argument between trust board members of Sri Durga Malleswara Swamivarla Devasthanam and the coordination committee of the Dasara Navaratri celebrations on the new practice of collecting Rs. 25 each from pilgrim coming to the temple with recommendation letters from VIPs continued throughout the day. Despite severe resistance from the board members that the practice should be stopped, the officials continued to collect it. Even as board members brought the issue to the notice of local MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, the latter maintained silence.

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