As many as 90,110 devotees had darshan at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada by 6.08 pm on Sunday, 11 October 2026, the first day of the Sarannavaratri festivities, The Hindu reported.
Quick Facts
| Temple | Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam, Indrakeeladri, Vijayawada |
| First-day footfall | 90,110 devotees by 6.08 pm |
| Day-one adornment | Goddess Kanaka Durga as Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Devi |
| Day two | Adornment as Sri Gayatri Devi, on Monday |
The Day’s Events
Devotees queued for darshan of the goddess, and temple authorities coordinated arrangements and amenities. Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Kanumuru Raghurama Krishna Raju visited and prayed for the state’s peace and prosperity, calling it a memorable spiritual experience.
As part of the festivities, other temples presented offerings to the goddess:
- The Sri Kalahasteeswara Swamy temple at Srikalahasti presented silk robes and a traditional “saare”, brought by executive officer B.K. Venkateswarlu, Srikalahasti MLA Bojjala Sudheer Reddy and board members
- A delegation from the Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy temple at Kanipakam, led by executive officer Penchala Kishore, also presented silk robes
Devotees also took part in the “Nagarotsavam” in the temple premises.
Arrangements
Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) said comprehensive arrangements had been made for a smooth festival. At the Indrakeeladri media point he said drinking water was uninterrupted, a control room was monitoring continuously, departments were coordinating, and QR codes were being used to collect feedback from devotees so complaints could be addressed quickly.
He urged all departments to work together to ensure hassle-free darshan through the festival.
Featured image: The Kanaka Durga temple complex on Indrakeeladri, Vijayawada, January 2017 (file photo). Photo by Sushumnarao, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.