Vijayawada: Devotees, particularly women in large numbers, thronged Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) temple atop Indrakiladri on the third Friday of Sravana Masam to perform the Vara Lakshmi Vratham ritual at the temple premises. A huge rush was witnessed throughout the day at the temple premises, with devotees making a beeline from the wee hours to do darshan and seek the blessings of the goddess Kanaka Durga.
Subsequently, the Devasthanam authorities arranged the pooja material and prasad required for performing the puja ritual.Later, the women devotees were allowed darshan of the presiding deity through a special darshan queue.
SDMSD deputy executive officer Leela Kumar inspected the arrangements for the puja ritual. With devotees in large numbers thronging the temple, they were provided buttermilk by the temple staff in the queues.
Similarly, devotees in large numbers participated in the special Kum Kum archana sevas and Nitya Arjita sevas, such as Khadgamala Archana, Laksha Kum Kum archana, Srichakranavaranarchana, Chandi Homam, Shanti Kalyanam, and others.