Devotees throng Indrakeedari in Vijayawada as Bhavani Deeksha Viramana begins

Devotees thronged Indrakeeladri as the Bhavani Deeksha Viramana (relinquishment of vow) began at the Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada on Thursday. Temple officials said that more than 43,800 devotees visited the temple on the first day, while 5,618 devotees tonsured their heads.

Around 15,000 devotees partook Annadanam prasadam while 1,86,000 laddus were distributed.

The temple management has made elaborate arrangements for the five-day event, concluding on December 15. The Bhavani Deeksha Viramana began with the Agni Pratishthapana ceremony (lighting the homa kundams) Special counters, and three homa kundas have been set up for devotees’ offerings.

The temple authorities launched the ‘Bhavani Deeksha 2025’ mobile app to share detailed information about the Giripradakshina route, which stretches 9 kilometres around Indrakeeladri.

A command control room has been set up to monitor devotees’ movements real-time, ensuring smooth management and safety. For the convenience of devotees, large resting platforms have been set up along the route, and dedicated queue lines have been arranged for Bhavani Deeksha devotees to facilitate hassle-free darshan and participation in the rituals.

Over 7 lakh devotees from across Andhra Pradesh are expected to participate. For their convenience, the temple has arranged dedicated queue lines, waiting halls, additional parking, and 19 prasadam distribution counters. Free drinking water and uninterrupted prasadam services, including laddus, have been ensured.

Security arrangement

Security has been reinforced with the deployment of 4,000 police personnel, and 370 CCTV cameras. All Arjitha Sevas have been suspended from December 11 to 16 to ensure smooth management of the crowd.

Devotees observing Bhavani Deeksha will follow a 41-day disciplined regimen of prayers and rituals. The festival is set to conclude on December 15 with the Maha Purnahuti ceremony.

Temple Executive Officer V.K Seena Naik, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam Chairman Borra Radha Krishna, and other senior officials supervised the arrangements.