30 Oct 2024        11:08:09 am

Current Affairs

Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam

Tags : Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam

Topic: Temples

Why in the news?

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has seized 1,000 kg of cashew and 800 kg of raisins (dry grapes), which were found to be of poor quality at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada.

Source: The Hindu 

About Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam:

• This holy shrine of Goddess Durga is a Swayambhu (self-manifested).
• It is the second largest temple in Andhra Pradesh.
• It is located on the banks of River Krishna in Vijayawada.
• It is situated on Indrakeeladri Hills.
• The Mythological significance of the place is learned from the story that Arjuna prayed to Lord Shiva on these Hills.
• Hundreds of devotees visit here to mark the beginning of Pavitra Ashada Sare Utsavalu and offer Saree to Goddess Kanaka Durga.
• Goddess is looking towards the north-east with a smile and bliss. 
• This is only temple in the world where the main deity (moola varlu) are decorated in forms of Sri Saraswati, Sri Maha Lakshmi, Sri Bala Tripura Sundari, Sri Rajarajeswari, Sri Mahishasura mardini, Sri Durga devi, Sri Annapurna devi, Sri Gayatri, Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari. Here Durga is on the right side of Malleswara as against the tradition of Goddesses taking their position on the left of their consorts.
• Geographical Significance: The Story
  • It is believed that when Indrakeeladri came in the way of the River Krishna the Gods requested the hill to allow the river to pass through it to join the sea.
  • Keeludu obliged and gave a small passage for the river.
  • But the ferocious Krishna made the passage larger than permitted and carried a part of the hill four miles downstream to Yanamalakuduru, where there is now a hillrock called “Thelukonda” or floating hillrock.
  • According to another legend, Kanaka Durga borrowed the nose-stud of Krishna and to avoid returning it jumped up the hill.
  • Krishna vowed to take back her ornament by raising her level to the hilltop by the end of kaliyuga.
• Adi-Sankaracharya visited the temple and installed the Srichakra and initiated worship of Kanaka Durga in vedic ways, and avoided animal sacrifice.

0 Comments