Festival celebrations at Kanaka Durga Temple Vijaywada

Vijaya dashami is one of  the important festival in andhra.It is celebrated for 9 days and  concludes on the 10th day of vijaya dashami.This festival is celebrated in all the temples of goddess Durga.Goddess durga is decorated in nine forms for nine days.This festival is celebrated with much fan fare in vijaywada kanaka durga temple.

My good friend and a fellow food blogger who is a resident of vijaywada has written an excellent write up on how the 9 days festivities are conducted and celebrated at the kanka durga temple in  vijaywada which is located in coastal Andhra on the banks of river Krishna.

I would like my readers to have a ring side view of the festivities through the eyes and thoughts of rekha who happens to be resident of the famous temple town of vijaywada.

Dasara – Sharan Navaratrulu is one of the most famous festivals in India. In Vijayawada (Andhra pradesh) Kanaka Durga Temple is very famous for this festival, especially for KanakaDurga Devi alankarams they do to Kanaka durga Devi main idol in the temple. The very first day they decorate Goddess asSWARNA KAVACHALANKRUTA KANAKA DURGA DEVI.

Every day we offer different prasadams to Goddess.The first day halwa and poori are offered to the goddess

On the second day Kanaka Durga is decorated as BALATRIPURA SUNDARI.On this day Durga Devi is decorate as bala. Bala means small child. On this day small kids under 2 -10 years will be given new cloths and also some gifts . Payasam is offered today as prasadam.

Trithiya is the third dayafter no moon day and this is the third day of Navratri. On this day Goddess Gayatri one of the form of maa durga is worshiped by her devotees. Goddess Gayatri is considered the Veda mata, The mother of Vedas. Vedas are large body of texts, composed in Vedic Sanskrit and they form the oldest layer of Sanskrit Literature, and the oldest sacred text of Hinduism, Goddess Gayatri is the mother of the Vedas.

 The goddess often sits on a red lotus flower and appears with five heads and five pairs of hands and representing the incarnations of the Goddess as parvati, saraswati and she is especially identified with saraswati. Nimmakaya (lemon) pulihora is offered as a prasadam.

Chaviti is the fourth dayof Navratri which is dedicated toGoddess Annapoorna Devi, Goddess of food. Anna means food,poorna means full, complete. She is the symbol for the one who grants nourishment on every level. She is the supreme Goddess of Kasi ( well known as Varanasi).Before taking any food Hindus chant the prayer of Annapoorna and distribute food in a large scale. Goddess Annapoorna is described as holding a golden spoon in her right hand and a vessel full of Paramannam(rice pudding) in her left hand.Pongal and minapa garelu (vada) are offered are prasadam.

Panchami the fifth dayof navaratri festival on this auspicious day Kanaka Durga Devi is decorated as Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi. She is the Echa, Chaitanya Gnyana shakthi swaroopini. Lalita means ”she who plays”, all creation, manifestation and dissolution, Tripura means the three worlds Svarloka ( heaven) Bhuloka ( Physical world) patala (Hell), Sundari means most beautiful so in full Lalitha Thripura Sundari means” The Most Beautiful Girl in the three Worlds”. She is the Goddess of bliss.

The lalitha Sahasranama is one of the famous prayers of Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi, details her charms from head to foot, and describes her as a mother to all beings in the World. Lalitha sahasranamam is a very powerful prayer of Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi especially auspicious to chant this on Fridays.

It is very auspicious to chant Lalitha Sahasranama on this day.Daddojanam (curd rice) or Gudannam (bellapu Annam, jaggery rice) as prasadam. She appears enthroned with her left foot upon the sri chakra, holding her traditional symbols like sugarcane, flower, noose (pasam), goad (amkusam), and right side with Goddess Lakshmi Devi and left side with goddess Saraswathi Devi.

Sasthi the sixth dayof navaratri Kanaka Durga devi is worshiped as Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi. She is the Goddess of wealth, prosperity, wisdom and fortune. Goddess Maha lakshmi is believed to protect her devotees from all kinds of money related sorrows. She is the daughter of the king of milky ocean, and later married to Lord Vishnu. She is a form of Shakti.Goddess Lakshmi is described as a fair lady with four arms, standing upon lotus, dressed in fine garments and precious jewels and holding lotus flowers in her two hands. She appears in 8 forms and is well known as Asta Lakshmi. Maha lakshmi devi is especially worshiped on Fridays and Diwali festival day and 6th day of navaratri with red color flowers.she is offeered prasadams like Ksheeraannm and pournalu.

Saptami the seventh day of navaratri Kanaka Durga Devi appears as Sri Maha Saraswathi. Seventh day is Moola Nakshatram which is the maa Saraswathi s nakshatram (astrological star). She is the goddess of knowledge and music and arts, and also she regarded as Vagdevi Goddess of sound, speech, consciousness and wisdom. Maa Saraswathi appears with white dress, seated on white lotus and with four hands in one hand holding a book, in one hand playing veena (a musical instrument) in one hand japa mala(rosary) this representing the power of meditation and spirituality and in the other hand Kamandalam(A pot with sacred water)representing creative and purificatory powers. Saraswath Devi is also referred as Sharda Devi. A white swan is her vahanam (vehicle) so that she is known as Hamsa vahini. On this navaratri seventh day especially Saraswathi devi is worshipped and all students are traditionally required to study on this day and also start study of something new on the same day. Small children under 5 year’s starts to write there first alphabet which is called Vidyarambham is take part today. Gurus (teachers) are worshipped to day as embodiments of Saraswathi. Offering honey is very important in Saraswathi pooja, as honey represents perfect knowledge. Payasam is offered as parasadam on this day.

 

Astami the eight day of navratri on this auspicious day Kanaka Durga Devi is appears in the form of Durga. The most powerful goddess she is the mother of the universe, she is the power and she is behind the work of creation, preservation and destruction of the world. Durga Devi is mentioned by Vedas as a supreme power.

The meaning of the Durga in Sanskrit is a fort, or is a place which is very difficult to reach. And one more meaning of durga is Durgatinashini meaning is the one who removes your sufferings. Hindus believe that Durga Devi protects her devotees from the evils of the world and removes there sorrows. She has Simha vaahini means Loin is her vehicle, she is Trinayani means she is a three eyed Goddess. So durga Devi appears on Astami day to kill Mahishasura (an inhumane force/ a demon with buffalo face) with three eyes and eight arms with holding many weapons and red color saree and beautiful jewellery is made by gold and ocean pearls and precious stones. On this Durgastami day people believe in praying Durga Devi with red color flowers, cloths and read Durga saptashati or Devi mahatyam and offers Pulagam or Kadambam Annam as prasadam.

Maha navami is the ninth day of navratri on this auspicious day Maa durga appears as Mahishasura mardhani. This is the most fiercely form of Maa Durga which is the warrior aspect of divine mother. Mahishasura mardhani is the form of Durga Devi after she killed mahishasura. Mahishasura mardhani means the slayer of Mahishasur. So people celebrate this day as divine mother’s victory on bad evil.

She appears riding on a Lion with ten arms carrying weapons was given by Gods and maintaining a meditative smile on her beautiful face. Today devotees read Mahishasura Mardhini Stotram and offer Pulihora (tamarind rice) Garelu (lentil dumplings) panakam (jaggery juice) vadapappu (moong dal salad).

The final and last day of navaratri Sri Kanakadurga Devi appears as Sri Rajarajeswari. After her victory in the battle with Mahishasura we celebrate Dasami the 10th day as vijayadasami, vijaya means victory dasami means 10th day. She is the mother of the world. she is the form of Lalitha tripura sundari devi.she appears on the 10th day sitting on the throne and holding sugarcane in one hand, and giving blessings to her devotees with a peaceful and beautiful smile.

In Kanaka durga temple (vijayawada) she appears like this in the day time and in the evening there will be a boat festival in Krishna river, they bring the Goddess Kanaka durga utsava vigraham(a small idol of Kanaka durga devi) down, they decorate a beautiful swan shape boat with lights and place the Devi idol on it and make few rounds in the Krishna river and bring back the idol to the main temple this is called Teppotsavam. Dasara is a very important and famous festival in Vijayawada which is celebrated every year. Kanakadurga temple is the synonymous with Vijayawada. Special poojas are performed during dasara and also called durga navaratrulu

  This is the repost and original post can be found  here

Thanks a lot rekha for the wonderful and detailed description of  festivites at kanaka durga temple,vijaywada.

Image source:Google images and Kanaka durga temple official website.

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