The conferment of Bhavani deeksha began at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri here on Friday. It will continue till November 12. Artha mandala deeksha (for 21 days) conferment will start on November 28 and continue up to December 1.
As devotees took a holy bath in the Krishna and lined up at the temple, the priests conferred deeksha on them by chanting Vedic hymns.
The Bhavanis, as they would now be called, went round the temples of Kanaka Durga, Malleswara Swami and other sub-temples on the hillock.
The priests confer the deeksha from Kartika Suddha Ekadasi to Pournima.
The two-hour rituals indicate the beginning of the 41-day deeksha. The devasthanam authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the programme.
The Bhavani kalasa jyothi will be organised on December 11. The procession starts at the Sivaramakshetram at Satyanaryanapuram here at 6 p.m. The Bhavanis will relinquish their deeksha between December 18 and 22. The temple priests will perform poornahuti on December 22, which marks the end of the deeksha relinquishment.
Devasthanam Executive Officer M.V. Suresh Babu said that the temple priests would perform ‘pancha haratulu’ to the Krishna river at the Durga Ghat and at Pavitra Sangamam at 6 p.m. every day from November 11.
The EO said that the devotees would be allowed to take a shower bath if the flood waters in the river did not recede.
