Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam is gearing up for the nine-day Dasara festivities in Vijayawada

Starting on October 15, the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam will prepare for the nine-day Dasara celebrations on Indrakeeladri, the location of Goddess Kanaka Durga. On October 20, Moola Nakshatram Day, the Saraswati alankaram will be placed on the presiding Goddess. Between 3 and 4 p.m., Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has scheduled to give silk vastram to the Goddess. On September 19 (Tuesday), temple trust board chairman Karnati Rambabu informed the media that on Vijaya Dasami, which falls on October 23, the priests will paint the Goddess as Mahishasura Mardhini and Sri Rajarajeswari Devi. According to him, the temple spent roughly 2.5 crore rupees on engineering work for the Dasara festival last year, and this year's budget for the work will be similar. 

Due to the rush during Dasara, the Antaralaya Darshan will be cancelled. The free darshan waiting line as well as the queue lines for 100, 300 and 500 ticket entries are available to worshippers. The priests will conduct the Nagarotsavam from the Malleswara Swamy Vari Aalayam at 4 p.m. daily and at 6 p.m. on the last day of the festival, said Mr. Rambabu, adding that all waiting lines—aside from the one for 500 rupee tickets—would be open for free darshan on the Moola Nakshatram day.

According to proposals provided by the Vaidic Committee, the presiding deity would be decorated with 10 alanakarams throughout the nine-day celebration, according to temple executive officer Dharbamulla Bramaramba. The deity would appear as Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Devi on the first day, Aswiyuja Suddha Padyami, and as Sri Gayatri Devi on the second day. On the third and fourth days, respectively, the deity will manifest as Sri Annapoorna Devi and Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi. The Goddess will manifest as Sri Maha Chandi Devi on October 19. On the seventh and eighth days of the celebration, the deity would be dressed as Sri Lalita Tripura Sundari Devi and Sri Durga Devi, respectively.

According to Ms. Bramaramba, the Goddess will be dressed as Sri Rajarajeswari Devi and Mahishasura Mardhini on the last day. The temple would be accessible for darshan every day from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. She said that the temple will open at 2 a.m. on the day of the Moola Nakshatram. Sankara Sandilya, Muralidhara Sastry, Marthi Yagna Narayana, and other members of the Vaidic committee also spoke.