Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Even after the grand conclusion of the Dasara festivities, the rush at Sri Kanaka Durga Temple atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada showed no signs of slowing down. On Sunday, devotees poured into the temple in massive numbers, with the atmosphere resembling the peak of the Dasara celebrations.

From the early hours, serpentine queues were seen stretching from the ghat road as thousands of devotees made their way to seek blessings from Goddess Kanaka Durga. By 2 PM, temple authorities estimated that over 90,000 devotees had already had darshan, and by evening, the number was expected to cross 1.25 lakh.

With the heavy turnout, Devasthanam Executive Officer (EO) Seena Naik personally reviewed the situation from the ground level. Walking up the hill, she inspected the prasadam counters, reviewed arrangements through CCTV monitoring, and issued direct instructions to streamline the flow of devotees. Taking a swift decision, the EO cancelled all paid darshan tickets from 10:30 AM onward, ensuring free access to all devotees for the rest of the day.

Special focus was laid on crowd management, drinking water supply, free prasadam distribution, and annadanam services. Police, temple security staff, and Special Protection Force personnel were deployed at key points to regulate queues and traffic. Temple Chairman Boppana Radhakrishna and EO Seena Naik later reviewed the arrangements together, assuring that every effort was being made to ensure a smooth and hassle-free darshan experience for the thousands who continued to arrive.