Dasari Srinivasa Rao Vijayawada

The10-day Dasara Sarannavaratri festivities at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri concluded on Tuesday with the traditional Teppotsavam (float festival) on Krishna river, marking the culmination of the annual celebrations. Maha Purnahuthi marked the culmination of the religious rituals associated with Sarannavaratri celebrations.

On the final day, Goddess Kanaka Durga appeared as Sri Rajarajeswari Devi, adorned in a green saree and traditional jewellery. Devotees thronged the hill shrine to have darshan of the presiding deity, while Bhavani devotees arrived in large numbers, adding to the spiritual fervour.

As part of Teppotsavam, the processional deities of Goddess Kanaka Durga and Lord Malleswara Swamy were taken on a ceremonial ride aboard the illuminated Hamsa Vahanam on Krishna river. The float festival resumed this year after a two-year interruption caused by high flood levels in the river during 2024 and 2025.

Meanwhile, Governor S Abdul Nazeer visited the temple on Tuesday and offered special prayers to Goddess Kanaka Durga. Temple officials and Vedic scholars welcomed him with traditional honours. After darshan, the Governor received Vedic blessings at the Ashirvachana Mandapam.

Endowments Secretary K Kannababu, Commissioner K Ramachandra Mohan, temple chairman Borra Radhakrishna (Gandhi) and Executive Officer VK Seena Naik presented the Governor with the deity’s sacred garments, prasadam and a portrait of the Goddess.

The temple authorities, district administration, police and other departments coordinated efforts to manage the heavy pilgrim turnout, with a focus on drinking water, sanitation, queue management and security. Police personnel, expert swimmers and officials from the Endowments and Irrigation departments were deployed along the riverfront and at bathing ghats to ensure devotees’ safety during the float festival.

NTR district Collector Dr G Lakshmisha and Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu supervised the arrangements and ensured coordination among the departments concerned. On the final day, the police regulated traffic across Vijayawada to facilitate the smooth movement of devotees and prevent congestion. The celebrations concluded smoothly, with temple authorities expressing gratitude to all departments and personnel who contributed to the successful conduct of the annual festivities. Temple authorities thanked the departments and personnel who coordinated the arrangements throughout the festivities, which also witnessed a large influx of Bhavani devotees.