The grand culmination of the five-day Bhavani Deeksha Viramanalu-2025 at the historic Sri Durga Malleswara Swami Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) temple in Vijayawada concluded on a spectacular note this Monday. The final Purnahuti ritual, held around 11 am at the temple's Yagashala premises, marked the end of the sacred observance that attracted an unprecedented number of devotees.
Record-Breaking Devotee Turnout and Final Day Rush
As the Deeksha Viramanalu period drew to a close, the temple atop Indrakeeladri hill witnessed a massive influx of Bhavani devotees eager to formally relinquish their vows. The temple administration reported a staggering figure of 527,000 devotees who completed the Deeksha relinquishment process since it began on December 11. The final day alone saw an overwhelming rush, with more than 80,000 devotees thronging the temple premises until 1 pm on Monday.
NTR district collector Dr G Lakshmisha, accompanied by Durga temple board chairman Borra Radha Krishna, personally inspected the extensive queue lines and the multitude of facilities arranged for the pilgrims. Dr Lakshmisha attributed the smooth and successful execution of the event to meticulous advance planning and a strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) followed by multiple government departments working in coordination.
High-Tech Management and Massive Administrative Mobilization
The district administration had made elaborate arrangements anticipating a footfall of nearly 600,000 Bhavani devotees. A key component in managing the colossal crowd was the Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC). This high-tech nerve center utilized modern technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and drone analytics to continuously monitor crowd movement and ensure security throughout the event.
Dr Lakshmisha highlighted that adequate facilities were provided at holding areas, sanitation blocks, bathing ghats, and tonsure halls to ensure no inconvenience was caused to the devotees. To maintain order and facilitate the event, a small army of personnel was deployed. This included nearly 4,000 police personnel and approximately 6,000 other officials and staff members from various departments.
Prasadam Distribution and Temple Schedule
The scale of the event was also reflected in the distribution of sacred offerings. Over the five days, a monumental 2,125,000 laddus were distributed to devotees. Furthermore, 213,000 devotees availed themselves of the annaprasadam (sanctified food) served at the temple.
Temple Executive Officer VK Seena Naik provided information regarding the future schedule. He stated that the special arrangements for Bhavani devotees to complete their Deeksha relinquishment would continue until Tuesday. The temple will reopen for regular darshan to all common devotees starting from Wednesday, resuming its normal routine after the momentous event.
