Kanaka Durga Temple - Andhra Pradesh
Perched atop the hills of Indrakeeladri and overlooking the precious river of Krishna, situates the Kanaka Durga Temple which is the most auspicious temple in Vijayawada in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Goddess Durga and her consort Lord Malleswara Swamy (Lord Shiva) resides here and myriads of devotees visit this temple throughout the year to get a holy darshan of the Goddess and the Lord. As soon as you step into the Temple, you will be filled with a positive and divine vibe.
Goddess Durga is enshrined here with eight arms in the form of Mahishasura Mardini whose body and face is fully coated with gold and the idol is ornamented with golden jewellery. The golden idol shines brightly with the light which is a pleasing treat for the eyes.
The main sanctum, as well as the Raja gopuram of the Temple, are also covered in gold which makes the Kanaka Durga Temple looks spectacularly beautiful and no wonder why the Temple is named so, because Kanakam literally translates to gold.
Kanaka Durga Temple is a very powerful temple and the devotees believe that just a mere darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga can solve all their problems regarding business loss and children's skin diseases as soon as possible. This Temple is flooded with devotees from different parts of the world during the festival time of Dasara.
History:
As per legends, there lived a Yaksha named ‘Keela’ who did severe penance upon Goddess Durga. Being pleased with his penance, Goddess Durga appeared before him and asked him to beg a boon. Blessed Keela, as a boon, begged the Goddess to stay in his heart always. She granted him the boon and asked him to remain at the holiest planes of river Krishna in the form of a mountain. She also told him that she will remain in his heart after the assassination of demons in Krithayuga. Thus, Keela stayed there in the form of a mountain waiting for the Goddess Durga and later became the abode of the Goddess. As per her words, Durga took the form of Mahishasura Mardini and killed the demon Mahishasura on the hill of Indrakeeladri. On an adjacent hill called Jyotirlinga, her consort Lord Shiva took his place. It is said that Lord Brahma worshipped him at the hills with jasmine flowers (Mallelu) and hence he came to be known as Malleswara Swamy.
Speacilty:
As the name suggests, the main deity and the main sanctum of the Kanaka Durga Temple is covered in gold.
The deity, Goddess Kanaka Durga of this temple is an epitome of beauty and is believed to be self-manifested or in "Swayambhu" form.
The utmost beauty of Goddess Durga has mentioned in epics like Kaalika Puraana and Durga Sapthashati and other Vedic literature.
Adjacent to the Kanaka Durga Temple, you can find a shrine dedicated to Lord Malleswara Swamy who is the consort of Goddess Kanaka Durga.
Kanaka Durga Temple is believed to have been constructed by Arjuna.
This Temple is of great spiritual significance which has occupied a special place in the scriptures of Siva-Leelas and Shakti Mahimas.
It is the only temple in the world in which the main deity is decorated in nine different forms.
Unlike other Temple where Goddesses takes their position on the left of their consorts, here Goddess Kanaka Durga is on the right side of her consort, Lord Malleswara Swamy.
Festivals:
Kanaka Durga Temple is famous for its 9-days long Dasara Festival which is dedicated to Goddess Durga. This festival signifies the victory of good over evil and it is held every year at the Kanaka Durga Temple on the month of October. The main speciality of this festival is that Goddess Durga is decorated in nine different forms during the nine days of the festival and is known as ‘Alankaram’. And the offerings to the Goddess also differs on all the nine days. Sri Swarna Kavachalakruta Durga Devi Alankaram, Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Devi Alankaram, Sri Annapurna Devi Alankaram, Sri Gayathri Devi Alankaram, Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi Alankaram, Sri Saraswathi Devi Alankaram, Sri Mahalakshmi Devi Alankaram, Sri Durga Devi Alankaram, Sri Mahishasura Mardini Devi Alankaram, and Sri Raja Rajeswari Devi Alankaram are the different Alankaram of Goddess Durga during the Dasara Festival. A holy dip in the Krishna River is the main ritual of this festival.
Vasantholsavam or Vasanta Navaratri that falls on Chaitra Masam attracts a lot of devotees to the Kanaka Durga Temple. The week-long Vasantholsavam includes various poojas and rituals. Among them, Laksha Pushpa Archana Puja is the most significant one in which the devotees offers different varieties of flowers to the Goddess.
Kanaka Durga Temple also celebrates a nine-day long festival called Shakambari Navaratri on the month of Ashadam. It is also known as Ashadam Navaratri Utsavam.
Dress Code:
There is no special dress code for Kanaka Durga Temple. But make sure you are wearing traditional attire or decent clothes while visiting the Kanaka Durga Temple. Also, note that mobile phones and cameras are strictly prohibited inside this temple.
Way to Reach:
By Air - Vijayawada International Airport is the nearest airport to Kanaka Durga Temple which is situated at a distance of 22.1 Km.
By Rail - Vijayawada Railway Station is the nearest railway station to Kanaka Durga Temple which is situated at a distance of 55 Km.
By Road - Vijayawada Bus station is the nearest bus station to Kanaka Durga Temple which is situated at a distance of just 1.7 Km.