Maha Kumbhabhishekam ritual begins at Durga temple in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: The three-day sacred Maha Kumbhabhishekam ritual commenced on a grand note at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swami Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) temple amid Vedic chants and devotional fervour atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada on Friday.The Maha Kumbhabhishekam ritual began at 8 am on Friday with Yagashala entry, followed by Ganapati Puja, Punyahavachanam, Deeksha Dharana, Panchagavya Prashanam, and Akhanda Deeparadhana.Temple Sthana Acharya Shiva Prasad Sharma, chief priest Durga Prasad, and other priests performed the Ankurarpana ritual at 4 pm, while the sacred fire was generated through the Agni Madhanam ritual and later installed in the Homa Gundam as part of the Agni Pratishta ceremony. Further, priests performed Moola Mantra Havanams, followed by Harathi and Mantrapushpam rituals.On the occasion, Kanchi Kamakoti pontiff Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati Swamy visited the Durga temple, offered special prayers to the presiding deity, Goddess Kanaka Durga Devi, and took part in the Maha Kumbhabhishekam rituals at the temple.