Masterplan for Durga temple upgradation to be finalised by Feb | Vijayawada News

Vijayawada: Kanaka Durga Temple, the second-largest temple in Andhra Pradesh after Tirumala, made significant strides in development, infrastructure, and pilgrim management in 2024.
One of the key milestones was the completion and re-consecration of Malleswara Swamy temple (Shivalayam). After five years of construction, it opened its doors to devotees.
With an average daily footfall of 20,000 devotees, which rises to 40,000 on weekends, and nearly a lakh during festival days, temple authorities prioritised infrastructure development and safety measures to ensure devotees were not inconvenienced.
Under the guidance of endowments minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, who inspects the ongoing infrastructure works regularly, a masterplan has been drawn for future development. Once the project is completed, it can cater to the temple’s needs for the next 50 years. The works include construction of a koneru (sacred pond), new queue-line complex, and satras (lodging facilities) for pilgrims. The masterplan, crafted with the help of inputs from renowned architects and adhering to Agama Shastra guidelines, is likely to be finalised by Feb 2025.
As part of safety enhancement, advanced guneting technique will be used to fix iron grill meshes which will prevent rockfalls. By Nov 2024, 70% of these works were completed.
The 2024 Dussehra festival drew unprecedented crowds, with over 15 lakh devotees visiting the temple during the 10-day celebrations. This resulted in a record income of ₹16 crore through Hundis and other contributions. Temple authorities also prioritized the taste and quality of prasadams by implementing stringent checks on raw materials used for laddu preparation and introducing brownies, which became a popular addition.
The Bhavani Deeksha Viramana ritual in Dec witnessed another massive gathering, with approximately 6 lakh devotees attending.