Jai Veda Matha -
I am writing this post to to give first hand account about my visit to this famous temple. I came across this temple on many website and collected details about it. Also came to know that there is beautiful temple called SRI DWARAKA TIRUMALA TEMPLE which is close to VIJAYAWADA.
I decided to visit both these temples the same day and made proper arrangements and left for Vijayawada. Got bus from MGBS bus stand, Hyderabad. I reached Vijayawada main bus stand at around morning 6 AM and then waited at the outgoing terminal at a platform for Dwaraka Tirumala bus. My plan was to visit Dwaraka tirumala first and then visit Kanaka durga temple later and leave for Hyderabad. But i think god had other plans. I got into the Dwaraka Tirumala bus and by the time it left bus stand and was travelling towards its destination i.e. 5 mins into travel, i got down immediately and went back to the Vijayawada bus stand and then to the local bus stand on the other side. To my luck, god sent a bus that is painted yellow and red came in front of me and i got into immediately seeing the board "Sri Durga malleshwara temple" on it. Fantastic - Its a paid service and it takes you to the temple straight. When i reached there, i got into a dilemma and was searching for a place to get ready, like a room. But it seems due to upcoming Krishna Pushkaram, there was demolition and renovation going on. Anyways there is, near the entrance of the pathway where you can see the Golden Shikaram of the Temple, a staircase leading downstairs into free toilets and bathrooms. It was public toilet and bathroom. Anyways, as i was used to getting cold water baths in the hostel already, I decided to take bath (finding no alternate solution and also to save money), and got freshen up and went for Darshan. There was this system, where you have 3 queues :-
1 - Free Darshan - You can view from far away.
2- 20rs Darshan - You can view from the step of the entrance of the shukanasi-garbhagudi
3- 100rs Darshan - You can view from very close.
Ufff............
Anyways - i stood in free darshan queue and went on and had darshan of Sri Kanaka Durga Mother - It is said that she is none other than the "Sri Chamundeshwari" who to fulfill the wish of here ardent devotee came here and made this hill as her home and because of this Lord Shiva - Malleshwara - also came and settled there with his consort.
The insides are very beautiful with paintings of goddess in all her glory. The deity herself is covered in turmeric i think. She was shining like a golden sun. I had god darshan and then from there moved on to the Lord malleshwara temple which is little downhill and you have to pass by the entrance staircase leading to Annaprasadam centre. I had go dashan of the Lord Shiva here and also other temples in the same complex, and came back to Annaprasadam entrance where there was a quite a long queue.
Blessing was - i felt mother had started the anna prasadam process very early, i mean as early as - 9:50 am - i waited for my turn in the batch entrance - had prasadam - had darshanam for the second time also - NO RUSH , less people - thats the advantage you see when going on non-peak days and then went on to get my luggage from the luggage counter where i had kept my bag before going inside the temple.
Then went to the bus stop, but it seems i got into a bus that only shuttles between the place down hill where there is facility for tonsure and bath and the top of the hill where the temple is...
Then i went back to top of the hill - bus stand parking - for the second time - then came back down the steps -small hill - about 100 steps or so - visited the temple at the foot of the hills - then took a sharing auto to the bus stand - but to my surprise - the bus stand is very close - by this time it was 1 pm or so... then went to the platform 2 of the outgoing terminal of the bus stand and got into the Dwaraka tirumala bus.
Passing through Eluru, it reaches Bhimadole bus stop after 1 hour or so and from there it is another 20mins journey to the Dwaraka Tirumala temple.
By the time i reached the temple, it was already 4 pm and there was free shuttle bus that was waiting to take us up the hill to the temple.
Went in it and it reaches the backside entrance where you have the shower and tonsure facility. I got down here, there is also a luggage counter here along with the Mobile phone deposit counter which is actually in front of the Cow shed -goshala
Now here i deposited my mobile and the luggage and then went inside and had darshan.
It was a beautiful and peaceful darshan i had. I requested them for some tulsi but they could not give me then. Here also there are 2 queue system
1st queue - Free Darshan - far away - but can have a good sight of god.
2 nd queue - 100rs - nearer inside the shukanasi - closer darshan.
Well - i came out - went around the temple - saw the paduka which is at the main entrance of the temple and now it was time to do sandhyavandam - so got my luggage inside the temple - from the main entrance "other side" which is not normally allowed and then changed into the dhoti and did sandhyavadanam on the platform of one of the alwar temple which is beside the counter selling tickets for deeparadanam not the other one where there are selling bronze coins and stuff.
It was fantastic. I went back in dhoti this time for darshan and got some tulsi also. Now that was fulfilled. I readied for my journey back and got into a bus and reached bhimadole junction and from there went to Eluru but couldn't find any reservations for my Hyderabad journey and so deciding to put an end to all confusion, went straight back to Vijayawada and got into a bus without reservation to Hyderabad and reached the morning day after early morning.
Points to remember : -
1- Next time better go to Dwaraka Tirumala first - dont know if they have Annaprasadam - think they have and then come back to Vijayawada.
2- From Vijayawada bus stand it is near to the hill base of the Sri Kanaka Durga temple.
3 - Always take direct buses instead of cut short journeys to save money.
Jai veda Matha...... :)
