About 3 Lakh devotees have darshan of Goddess Durga in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: Nearly three lakh devotees visited Durga temple on the seventh day of the Dasara festival celebrations on Saturday. The devotees thronged queue lines from the midnight of Friday to pray to Goddess Durga on the auspicious occasion of Moola Nakshatram which is believed to be the birth star of the presiding deity.

Goddess Durga appeared in Saraswathi Devi alankaram. Several VIPs also visited the temple and offered special pujas. Ministers Vellampalli Srinivas, K Kannababu, Perni Venkata Ramaiah (Nani), APIIC Chairperson and MLA R K Roja, Government Advisors Ajeya Kallam and GVD Krishna Mohan had darshan of the Goddess.

Member of Parliament Kesineni Srinivas visited the temple along with his family members and offered special puja. TDP Telugu Yuvatha State president Devineni Avinash and several officials visited the temple. The temple administration allowed only the VIP vehicles due to devotees' rush. The Antaralayam darshan was provided only for the VIPs.

The common devotees were allowed up to the main entrance of the temple. The devotees had to wait nearly five hours in queue lines for darshan. Several VIPs also faced problem at the footsteps of Indrakeeladri hill as there was no vehicle facility properly to reach the temple.

Goddess Durga will appear in Sri Durga Devi alankaram on Sunday. The deity will give darshan in original alankaram but the devotees rush may continue at the temple with Sunday being a holiday.

Controversy over silk sari presentation in advance: Former Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao raised objection on the presentation of silk sari to the Goddess Durga one day advance by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. He said that Y S Jagan was changing all the customs according to his whims and fancies.

Indeed, the State government presents a silk sari to Goddess Durga on the auspicious occasion of Moola Nakshatram when the deity is decorated in Saraswathi Devi alankaram. But YS Jagan Mohan Reddy presented silk sari when Goddess Durga was decorated in Sri Mahalakshmi Devi alankaram on Friday. But the State government did not react to the comments of former minister Devineni Uma.