CM offers silk robes to Goddess Kanaka Durga

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, accompanied by his wife Bhuvaneswari Devi, on Monday offered ‘pattu vastrams’ (silk robes) ceremonially to Goddess Sri Kanaka Durga at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri here on the auspicious occasion of ‘moola nakshatram’. The presiding deity, Goddess Durga Devi, in Sri Saraswati Devi ‘alankaram’, blessed devotees during the ritual.

Chandrababu Naidu and his wife visited the Kanaka DurgaTemple at 3.30 pm. The temple priests and officials greeted them with ‘poorna kumbham’, a traditional welcome. The Chief Minister, wearing a traditional turban, along with his wife, brought silk robes on his head to present them to the presiding deity, decked up as Goddess Sri Saraswathi Devi as part of the Dasara Sharannavaratri celebrations. The silk robes were presented to the deity on behalf of the state government.

Later, the temple priests offered traditional ‘ashirvachanam’ (blessings) to the couple. Later, they received prasadam amid Vedic chants.

Naidu, while expressing his view that he considered it an honour to offer silk clothes to the deity on behalf of the state government, prayed for the well-being, happiness, and prosperity of the people of the state. Noticeably, devotees expressed their happiness that queues remained undisturbed, ensuring smooth and hassle-free darshan even during the Chief Minister’s visit.

Addressing the media later, the Chief Minister praised the temple administration and said this year’s arrangements were made with priority for the common devotees by regulating VIP darshan. He noted that intelligence surveillance with advanced technology had strengthened security. “So far, eight lakh devotees have visited the temple, with another eight lakh expected before the festival concludes,” he said.

Announcing key infrastructure works in the offing, the Chief Minister said the Annaprasadam complex, being built at a cost of Rs.25 crore, would be completed in six months. He said a dedicated Prasadam preparation building worth Rs.27 crore would be ready in three months. Besides, an elevated corridor up to the Maha Mandapam, costing Rs.14 crore, would be completed in five months.

The Chief Minister remarked that with the grand scale of celebrations, Vijayawada has now emerged, alongside Kolkata and Mysore, as one of the country’s premier Dasara festival destinations. The Chief Minister assured that future events, including the 2027 Godavari and 2028 Krishna Pushkarams, would be grandly organized.

Chandrababu Naidu reiterated that government welfare activities were being undertaken with the blessings of the deity, and funds were being provided to temples with insufficient income, while major temples did not face any funding shortages. Endowments Minister Anam Ramnaryana Reddy, Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Shivnath (Chinni), Endowments Commissioner K Ramachandra Mohan, NTR District Collector Dr G Lakshmisha, Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu, Temple EO VK Seena Naik and others were present.