Navaratri festivities at Vijayawada Indrakeeladri from Monday

VIJAYAWADA: The nine-day Dussehra Navaratri celebrations will begin at Indrakeeladri temple in Vijayawada on Monday. A special Pooja is scheduled at 9 am followed by darshans to the devotees. The deity will be decorated in 10 different transformations during the nine-day festivities..

Meanwhile, the temple authorities, who had earlier arranged special darshans, have canceled them in view of the huge crowd expected to throng the temple. The authorities said that the devotees would be allowed for darshan from 3 am to 10.30 pm every day.

According to reports, the temple authorities have decided to distribute meal packets instead of Annadanam and arrange showers in place of river baths. The temple has prepared 21 lakh laddu prasadams for the devotees.

Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan is also expected to visit the temple on the first day while Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy will visit on the day of Moola Nakshatra to offer silk robes to the Goddess. Police have imposed traffic restrictions in Vijayawada from Sunday onwards to control the crowd. Devotees from various parts of the state are expected to flock to the Durga temple to seek blessings during the Navaratri celebrations.