Overview
- The three-day Sakambari Utsavams at Sri Kanaka Durga on Indrakeeladri concluded with Maha Poornahuti on Wednesday and drew temple officials' estimate of about 2.5 lakh devotees over the festival period.
- Temple authorities reported using tens of tonnes of vegetables, fruits and leafy greens for deity decorations, with Kanaka Durga citing roughly 45 tonnes and Srisailam and Warangal reporting multi-thousand kilogram displays.
- To manage the surge, Kanaka Durga distributed large quantities of prasadam, temporarily suspended Antaralaya darshan to speed queues, and deployed extra water, medical and crowd-control arrangements.
- Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath raised the issue in the Lok Sabha seeking central aid under the PRASAD scheme and Parvatmala ropeway funding to build multi-level parking, waiting halls and other permanent pilgrim facilities.
- The festivals highlight recurring capacity limits at hill shrines that draw seasonal rushes, a need that officials say requires lasting infrastructure upgrades to ease access for elderly and disabled pilgrims and reduce operational strain.