Thousands of Devotees Gather at Vijayawada Hill Shrine to Conclude Deeksha

Thousands of Bhavani devotees and general pilgrims flooded the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada from the early hours of Sunday, October 25, 2026, to conclude their Bhavani Deeksha. The hill shrine filled with pilgrims dressed in red while chants of 'Jai Bhavani' echoed across the temple grounds. Pilgrims arrived from far-flung places, entering through both the Ghat Road and Kanaka Durga Nagar routes as queues grew crowded and the number of visitors swelled.

Crowd Control Measures

To manage the heavy rush, the temple administration stopped Antaralaya Darshan into the inner sanctum starting in the morning. After offering Maha Nivedana to the presiding deity at noon, authorities also cancelled all special-entry darshan tickets. Only free Sarva Darshan was allowed so waiting devotees could see Goddess Kanaka Durga without buying tickets, which helped improve the flow of pilgrims. Officials kept a close watch on arrangements to distribute drinking water to people waiting in long queues.

Appeals And Context

Temple Executive Officer V.K. Seena Naik asked devotees to cooperate with security staff, stay disciplined, and follow the rules for a smooth visit.

Context

Religious festivals and holy periods in India often draw massive crowds to major temples, requiring administrators to suspend paid entry passes and limit special access so that ordinary pilgrims can get darshan more easily. Such measures help keep large public gatherings safe and orderly during peak festival days.