Preparations for the Teppotsavam during the ongoing Dasara festivities are progressing at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam on Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada. As part of the arrangements, officials conducted a trial run of the Hamsa Vahanam, a swan-shaped float, at Durga Ghat.

NTR District Collector G. Lakshmisha, Police Commissioner S. V. Rajasekhar Babu, temple Executive Officer V. K. Seena Naik, Sthanacharya Siva Prasad Sarma and officials from various departments inspected the preparations. They reviewed safety measures, operational readiness and steps to prevent inconvenience to devotees. Officials stressed the need for coordination among departments to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of the float festival.

 

The temple is also making arrangements to meet the growing demand for its popular laddu prasadam. It sold 14,11,393 laddus during the first seven days of the Dasara celebrations, which began on October 11 and are scheduled to continue until October 20, 2026.

With an estimated 25 lakh devotees expected during the festivities, temple authorities planned to prepare an additional 30 lakh laddus to prevent shortages. A total of 19 counters were made available at different locations, including the temple premises, railway station and bus stand, along with online and other dedicated counters.

 

The trial run and the expanded prasadam arrangements are part of the temple administration’s preparations to manage the expected rush of devotees and ensure that religious celebrations proceed safely and smoothly.