Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam authorities are seen grappling with finding a solution to the numerous protocol darshans atop Indrakeeladri here.
The VIPs were not adhering to the allocated darshan time slots allocated to them—8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.—say the temple officials.
As a result, the devotees who purchased ₹500 tickets were also forced to stand in the queue for long hours.
According to Kanaka Durga temple officials, 5,764 ₹500 tickets were sold on Sunday alone. But, the queue did not move as swiftly as expected.
Also, some devotees have reportedly resorted to taking multiple prints or photocopies of the darshan tickets, which were booked online. They were seen visiting the temple by producing duplicate tickets, and the temple staff on duty were hardly seen checking or scanning the tickets.
Kanaka Durga temple officials have yet to respond to these allegations.
Meanwhile, the temple priests dressed the presiding deity goddess Kanaka Durga as Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi on Aswyuja Suddha Chaviti, the fourth day of the Dasara festival. The temple grounds were abuzz with thousands of devotees eager to receive blessings from the goddess’s divine form.
The rush of devotees began early in the morning, with queues starting to form from as early as 3 a.m. onwards. The devotees thronged the premises in large numbers, chanting hymns and offering prayers to the goddess, who is revered as the embodiment of beauty, wisdom, and power.
More than 90,000 devotees have visited the temple from dawn to dusk on the fourth day of the nine-day festival.
Kanaka Durga Temple Executive Officer (EO) K.S. Rama Rao oversaw the arrangements, ensuring the smooth flow of pilgrims despite the massive rush.
Special arrangements were made for the elderly, differently abled, and women with young children, including the use of stairlifts and separate darshan queues to provide them with a comfortable experience.
He even conducted surprise inspections of the arrangements being made for the devotees. As part of this, the EO checked the tickets in the queue lines, stood at the scanning points, and inspected the scanning of tickets and passes using QR codes.
Published - October 06, 2024 08:51 pm IST
