President Droupadi Murmu Offers Prayers at Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday evening visited the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam on Indrakeeladri hill in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, where she offered darshan of Sri Kanaka Durga Devi and Sri Malleswara Swamy amid the ongoing Dasara Navaratri festivities.

The President arrived at Vijayawada International Airport at Gannavaram by special aircraft from Delhi at around 6.10 pm. She was received at the airport by Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Union Ministers of State Pemmasani Chandrasekhar and Kamlesh Paswan, State Ministers Kollu Ravindra and Vangalapudi Anitha, Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad, Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta, and other senior officials.

From the airport, she travelled by road directly to the hilltop temple. At the shrine, she was given a traditional welcome with Poorna Kumbham, accompanied by Vedic chants and temple music. Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, also known as Chinni, Temple Trust Board Chairman Borra Radhakrishna and Executive Officer V.K. Seena Naik received her. The President also greeted devotees standing in the queues before entering the temple complex.

Priests and Vedic scholars escorted Murmu into the sanctum sanctorum. For the occasion, Goddess Kanaka Durga was decorated as Sri Maha Chandi Devi as part of the Dasara Navaratri observances. The President offered special prayers and spent about eight minutes in worship. The temple premises had been decorated with flowers for her visit.

After the darshan, Vedic scholars offered blessings at the Ashirvachana Mandapam and presented prasadam. Executive Officer V.K. Seena Naik presented a portrait of the Goddess, while Minister Anitha offered sacred silk robes. The President was also given laddu prasadam and other traditional offerings.

The official account of the President of India later confirmed the visit, saying: “President Droupadi Murmu visited Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh and had darshan of Sri Kanaka Durga Devi and Sri Malleswara Swamy.”

The temple, popularly known as the Kanaka Durga Temple, is one of the principal Shakti shrines in Andhra Pradesh and stands on Indrakeeladri hill overlooking the Krishna River. The deities are regarded as Swayambhu, or self-manifested. The shrine attracts large numbers of devotees, especially during Navaratri, when the goddess is adorned in different alankarams each day.

The visit was part of a two-day official tour of Andhra Pradesh that coincides with the Dasara Navaratri Utsavams. On Thursday, October 15, President Murmu is scheduled to inaugurate the National Saras Aajeevika Mela at Punnami Ghat on the banks of the Krishna River as the chief guest between 11.30 am and 1 pm. The mela is being organised jointly by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and the Andhra Pradesh government under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

The event is intended to promote products made by rural artisans and women-led self-help groups. After the inauguration, the President will attend a luncheon with members of self-help groups and Lakhpati Didis before departing for New Delhi from Gannavaram Airport.