Vijayawada: Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri here witnessed a massive rush of devotees on Sunday, coinciding with auspicious wedding Muhurats and a weekend holiday. Devotees began arriving in large numbers from 6 am, with long queues forming on both sides of the Ghat Road and Kanakadurga Nagar.

Observing the unexpected surge, Temple Executive Officer VK Seena Naik announced the cancellation of all special darshan tickets to facilitate hassle-free darshan for general devotees. From 10.30 am, Antaralaya Darshan was temporarily halted, and free darshan was arranged for everyone.

EO Seena Naik personally walked up the hill, inspected all arrangements, and supervised crowd management. Drinking water was distributed to devotees, and announcements were made through the public address system informing that all protocol darshans were stopped.

Temple Trust Board Chairman Borra Radhakrishna alias Gandhi and EO Seena Naik jointly inspected queue lines, interacted with devotees, and instructed staff to speed up the movement. Additional staff were deployed at the main temple, prasadam counters, and queue lines to manage the crowd efficiently.

By 2 pm, over 90,000 devotees had darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga, and officials estimated the total count could reach 1.25 to 1.30 lakh by the end of the day.

The EO continuously monitored the situation through CCTV cameras and coordinated with staff via walkie-talkies and WhatsApp. Under the supervision of One Town Circle Inspector Guru Prakash, additional police personnel were deployed to regulate traffic at the hilltop and foothill areas.

West Zone DCP G Ramakrishna also visited the temple and reviewed the situation. EO Seena Naik informed that all necessary steps were taken to ensure devotees had a smooth darshan experience. Temple authorities expressed gratitude for the cooperation of devotees and the efforts of police and staff in maintaining order despite the heavy turnout.