Vijayawada: As part of the ongoing Dasara Sarannavaratri celebrations at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri, Vice-President of India CP Radhakrishnan and his wife visited the temple on Wednesday, the third day of festivities, for darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga Devi, who was adorned as Sri Annapurna Devi. The visit highlighted the spiritual and cultural significance of the festival, drawing large crowds and senior officials to witness the occasion.
On arrival at the temple, the Vice-President and his wife were accorded a warm welcome by Minister for Information & Public Relations and Housing Kolusu Partha Sarathy, NTR District Collector Dr G Lakshmisha, Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu, Endowments Department Commissioner K Ramachandra Mohan, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Commissioner HM Dhyanachandra, and Temple EO VK Seena Naik.
Temple priests performed the traditional Poorna Kumbham ritual and facilitated special darshan for the Vice-President. They offered prayers to the Goddess, while Vedic scholars provided blessings at the Veda Ashirvachana Mandapam. The Vice-President was also presented with Theertha Prasada and a portrait by the temple authorities. Before reaching the sanctum, Radhakrishnan visited the Mallikharjuna Maha Mandapam, greeting devotees waiting in the queue lines. Addressing the media, he expressed his delight at receiving the blessings of Goddess Kanaka Durga Devi and said it was an “immense pleasure” to seek the divine grace of the presiding deity. He wished for the health, prosperity, and progress of the people of the state and praised Vijayawada as one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. He also highlighted the state’sremarkable development compared to other regions and extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of Dasara.
