The Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam is gearing up for the nine-day Dasara festivities atop Indrakeeladri, the abode of Goddess Kanaka Durga, here, from October 15.
The presiding deity will be adorned with the Saraswati alankaram on the Moola Nakshatram day on October 20. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is scheduled to present the silk vastram to the deity between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. The priests will decorate the deity as Mahishasura Mardhini and Sri Rajarajeswari Devi on the Vijaya Dasami on October 23, temple trust board Chairman Karnati Rambabu told the media on September 19 (Tuesday).
He said that the temple had spent about ₹2.5 crore on engineering works for the Dasara festival last year and the budget for the works would be on similar lines this year too.
The Antaralaya Darshan will be cancelled in view of the Dasara rush. The devotees can enter the temple either via the free darshan queue line or ₹100, ₹300 and ₹500 tickets queue lines.
“Baring the ₹500 ticket line, all other queue lines will be available for free darshan on the Moola Nakshatram day,” said Mr. Rambabu, adding that the priests would organise the Nagarotsavam from the Malleswara Swamy Vari Aalayam at 4 p.m. daily and the Teppotsavam at 6 p.m. on the final day of the festival.
10 alankaram
Temple Executive Officer Dharbamulla Bramaramba said that following the suggestions made by the Vaidic Committee, the presiding deity would be adorned with 10 alanakarams during the nine-day festival.
On the first day, Aswiyuja Suddha Padyami, the deity would appear as Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Devi, as Sri Gayatri Devi the following day. The deity will appear as Sri Annapoorna Devi on the third day and Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi on the fourth day. On October 19, the Goddess will appear as Sri Maha Chandi Devi. The deity would be decorated as Sri Lalita Tripura Sundari Devi and Sri Durga Devi on the seventh and eighth days of the festival respectively. On the final day, the Goddess would be decorated as Mahishasura Mardhini and Sri Rajarajeswari Devi, said Ms. Bramaramba.
The temple would remain open for darshan from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. On the Moola Nakshatram day, the temple would be opened at 2 a.m., she added.
Vaidic committee members Sankara Sandilya, Muralidhara Sastry, Marthi Yagna Narayana and others also spoke.
