Rs 25 crore to improve facilities at Durga temple in Vijayawada

VIJAYAWADA: The trust board of Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam (SDMSD) held a meeting at Indrakeeladri on Thursday and took several key decisions regarding arrangements for the upcoming annual Dasara festivities.

Trust Board chairman Borra Radhakrishna said the temple authorities were making systematic arrangements to conduct the festivities on a grand scale. He said around 20 lakh devotees had visited the temple during last year’s celebrations and the number was expected to increase to nearly 25 lakh this year.

He said Rs 25 crore had been sanctioned for providing facilities to devotees during the Dasara celebrations. “There will be no compromise in providing facilities to devotees,” he said.

Radhakrishna said the Trust Board would meet Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and request the release of additional government funds for conducting the celebrations. Efforts would also be made to mobilise substantial donations for the temple, he said.

He clarified that guests were being invited to temple programmes strictly according to protocol. Temple Executive Officer VK Seena Naik said the temple authorities would coordinate with officials of all departments to ensure smooth conduct of the Sharannavarathri celebrations. Measures would be taken to ensure devotees could have darshan without inconvenience, he said.

He said Dasara celebrations at Indrakeeladri would be conducted on the lines of a State festival. The temple administration would also take preventive measures to ensure that minor incidents reported during previous year were not repeated this year, he added.