Dasara festivities begin at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam, in Vijayawada

Devotees thronged Kanaka Durga temple in good numbers on the first day of the festival. A significant rush was witnessed at the bathing ghats and on the canal road. 

The 10-day Dasara festivities began at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam and other temples such as Kali Matha temple near Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) and Datta Peetham at Patamata on September 26.

At Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri, the festivities began with ‘snapana abhishekam’ at main temple and it’s ‘ upa alayams’ (sub-temples) in the early hours. Ganapati Pooja, ‘ nava ratri kalasa pratishtha’ etc., were performed as a precursor to the beginning of the festival. The presiding deity appeared as ‘Swarna Kavachalankrita Durga Devi.’

The temple priests brought utsava moorthulu (processional deities) amidst Vedic chants from the main temple to Mallikarjuna Mahamandapam where special poojas such as kumkuma archana would be performed during the festival.

Kanaka Durga temple Executive Officer Dharbamulla Bhramaramba, pradhana archaka (one of the main priests) Lingambotla Durga Prasad, vaidic committee members Srinivas Sastry, sthanacharya Vishnu Prasad Sarma and others were present.

The priests at yaga sala performed sata chandi homam. Ten homa kundams were put up to perform the sata chandi homam. Similarly, ' Sri chakra nava avarana archana', Surya namaskar, etc., were performed. 

Unlike in the recent past, the devotees thronged the temple in good numbers on the first day of the festival. A significant rush was witnessed at the bathing ghats and on the canal road. 

Even before the temple was thrown open to the public at around 9 a.m, the devotees’ rush was witnessed in the queue lines.