One of the biggest cities in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada is one of the cities that hold a lot of religious, spiritual, historical and mythological importance. Out of the many things in the city, the temples found here are one of the major attractions in Vijayawada. The Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple is one of the most important temples in the city that the people visit here. It is one of the Shaktipeeth found in India and is a revered shrine as well that is followed by its devotees.
Surrounded by hills and River Krishna the temple offers a majestic ambience. You will feel at peace after entering the premises of the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple. So if you are ever visiting Vijayawada then the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga temple should surely be a part of your itinerary. Keep on reading this article because here I will mention each and every information that you might need to know about the revered Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple. It will be a helpful read for you if you are planning a trip to this temple.
Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple
Location: Indrakeeladri, Durga Temple Ghat Road, Mallikarjunapeta, Durga Agraham, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Timings: 6 am to 10 pm on all days
Entry fee: For Dharma Darshanam there is no entry fee, for Mukha Mandapam Darshanam it is Rs. 100 per person, Rs. 300 for Sheegra Darshanam per person and Rs. 500 per person for Antaralayam Darshanam per person.
Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple Darshan Timings:
Dharma Darshanam timings 6 am to 3:30 pm and 6 pm to 10 pm
Mukha Mandapam Darshanam timings 6 am to 3:30 pm and 6 pm to 10 pm
Antaralayam Darshanam timings 6 am to 3:30 pm and 6 pm to 10 pm
Sheegra Darshanam timings 6 am to 3:30 pm and 6 pm to 10 pm
Read More: AZHIMALA SHIVA TEMPLE TIMINGS, PHOTOS, HISTORY, LOCATION
How to reach
By air
Vijayawada International Airport is the nearest International Airport to reach the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple. Which take about 35 minutes by car. The distance of the temple from the airport is 23 km.
By train
The Vijayawada Junction is the nearest railway station to reach the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple. It is only 3.7 km away from the railway station. You can easily drive to reach the temple in about 10 minutes.
By road
You can drive from nearby cities as well. Also buses are available from the nearby major cities. Vijayawada bus stand is only 8 minutes away from the temple. You can travel from Hyderabad as well and temple to Hyderabad distance is 275 km.
Overview of Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple
Also known as Sri Kanaka Durgamma Devasthanam. The Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijaywada is one of the most powerful shakti shrines. It is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Kanaka Durga. Located on the Indrakeeladri Hill in Vijayawada on the banks of the Krishna River. It is believed by many that the Goddess here is self manifested or Swayambhu. Furthermore there had been mentions of this temple in various religious and sacred texts like Durga Sapthashati, Kalika Purana and many other Vedic literatures. The temple is governed by the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam. Who looks after the various activities, darshans and sevas in the temple.
Furthermore the temple is synonymous with the city of Vijayawada. It is believed that the Goddess won over evil and therefore the city of Vijaywada is named. So which literally means the Land of Victory. On a regular basis the temple attracts a huge number of devotees and they consider the Goddess to be extremely powerful.
Read More: TEMPLE CITIES IN INDIA | CITY OF TEMPLES IN INDIA
Architecture of Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple
The beautiful temple of Kanaka Durga in Vijayawada is built following the Dravidian style of architecture. The main sanctum is made in the form of a pyramid. You can notice intricate carvings and embellished detailing on the structure which looks spectacular. However the most astounding feature of the structure is the golden crown of the temple that is visible from far away.
One of the main attractions of the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple is the 4 feet tall idol of the temple which is in molten gold colour. Here the Goddess Kanaka Durga is seen with 8 arms with each hand holding a weapon. Furthermore she is seen standing on top of demon king Mahishasura while piercing him with her trident. In itself the deity looks like an epitome of power and courage. Also the Goddess here is beautifully decorated with glittering ornaments along with flowers. You can find inscriptions of various dynasties on the walls of the temple as well.
Furthermore you will also find a temple belonging to Lord Shiva near the temple premise known as Malleswara Swamy Temple as you will find in every other Shaktipeeth. However it is probably the only temple where the Deity of the Goddess is on the right side of the Male deity which is against the traditional set up where the female deity is always placed on the left side of the male. This further points out to the fact that the feminine energy and power is predominant here and the Goddess here is very powerful.
Legend of Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple
There are some legends associated with the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple. One of the popular legends is that once upon a time there was a growing menace of the demons in the region. Everyone was tired of the tortures of these demons. It was then that sage Indrakila practiced penance. Goddess Kanaka Durga was happy with him and appeared in front of him. Furthermore he pleaded with the Goddess to reside on his head so that she can keep an eye on the demons. According to his wishes the Goddess killed the demon Mahisasura and later made Indrakila her permanent residence. It is believed that even today the Goddess is protecting Vijayawada from all sorts of evil.
Also according to another legend it is believed that the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple was constructed by the great warrior and of the 5 Pandavas, Arjuna. It is believed that after he received the Pasupata Astra from Lord Shiva at this very location, Arjuna constructed this temple at this spot.
Festivals in Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple
One of the major attractions of the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple is the Shakambari festival which is an annual festival celebrated in the month of Ashadha. It is a three day long festival when the Goddess Kanaka Durga is worshipped in the form of Goddess Shakambari or Goddess Banasankari Amma. Furthermore the main motive behind this festival is to pray to the Goddess for the extended blessing on agriculture and food. Every year from the Shukla Paksha Trayodashi to Purnima of the Asadha month this festival is celebrated which is attended by many devotees with a lot of faith and belief.
Furthermore another festival is also held in the month of Sravanam which is known as the Varalakhshmi Vratam. This is celebrated on every Friday where more than 20,000 people visit the temple in the month of Sravanam to pay their visit to the Goddess.
Dasara and Navarati are also celebrated here with much pomp and grandeur. A huge number of devotees attend the festivals and take a holy dip in the water of River Krishna. This is a 10 day long festival where nine days are celebrated as Navaratri and one day is Dasara. During this time 10 forms of the Goddess Kanaka Durga are worshipped in the temple. These 10 forms are Swarna Kavachalakruta Durga, Annapurna, Bala Tripurasundari, Lalitha Tripurasundari, Gayatri, Saraswati, Mahalakhshmi, Mahisasura Mardini, Durga and Raja Rajeswari Devi.
Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple Sevas Online Booking
There are provisions for online booking as well that you can opt for. Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple Chandi Homam online booking is one of the popular Sevas at the temple. They have 2 types of sevas, the Pratyaksha Seva and the Paroksha Seva.
For the Pratyaksha Seva Booking
· Visit the official website of the temple which is kanakadurgamma.org
· You will have to register there with your mobile number and then you will have to generate a password.
· Along with that you will need a valid ID proof which can be anything from the list of Aadhar Card, PAN Card, Voter Card, Ration Card or Passport.
· Then on the day of your visit you will have to carry your original ID Proof that you have provided during the registration.
There are various Paroksha Sevas available at the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple as well which is also known as Worship from Home. These are
· Rahuketu Pooja Rs. 1116
· Sri Chakra Navrachana Rs. 1000
· Chandi Homam for Rs. 1000
· Lakshkumkumarchana Rs. 1000
· Ganapati Homam Rs. 1000
· Mrutyanjaya Homam Rs. 1000
· Rudra Homam Rs. 1000
· Shanti Kalyanam Rs. 1000
· Navagraha Shanti Homam Rs. 540
· Rudrabhishekam Rs. 200
Prasadam in Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple
Everyday the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple distributes free prasadam to all the devotees visiting the temple from 5 am to 10 pm. On a regular day about 145 kgs of Prasad is distributed and on Fridays and Sundays or special days more than 21 kgs of Prasadam is distributed here.
Furthermore the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple also provides free meals known as Anna Prasadam to 5000 pilgrims every day. During special occasions and festivals like Dasara festival and Bhavani Deeksha Virmana, festivities continue till 10 days and 6 days respectively. At that time about 1, 25,000 devotees received Anna Prasadam at the temple.
Wrapping up!
The majestic architecture, the legends attached, and the historical relevance of the temple makes the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple one of the most revered shrines in Vijayawada as well as in Andhra Pradesh. This is one of the temples that promotes the feminine energy and the feminine power and worships the power of the Goddess. What makes the temple even more powerful is the way the devotees have put in so much faith in the Kanaka Durga Goddess at the temple.
Furthermore with daily servings or Prasad and Annadan this temple is also a popular place that provides free meals to so many people on a regular basis. All of these makes the Vijayawada Temple one of the must visit temples in Andhra Pradesh. So if you are ever visiting here you surely cannot miss out on visiting this powerful Shakti shrine. Do let me know if this particular article on the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple is helpful for you in planning a trip to this temple.
