सनातन पुस्तकालय Sanatan Cultural Library

The Kanaka Durga temple stands on Indrakeeladri, a hill rising over the Krishna river at Vijayawada. Tradition holds that the goddess slew the demon Mahishasura here and chose to remain on the hill, self-manifest, as Kanaka Durga — the Durga of golden radiance. The sthala purana also tells that Arjuna performed penance on this hill to win the Pashupatastra from Shiva, which is why the hill carries Indra's and Arjuna's (Kiriti's) names. During Dasara Navaratri the temple becomes the heart of Andhra Pradesh's festival season. Each day the goddess is adorned as a different form — among them Bala Tripurasundari, Gayatri, Annapurna, Mahalakshmi, Saraswati, Lalita Tripurasundari, Durga, Mahishasura Mardini and Rajarajeswari — so that devotees experience the whole sweep of the Devi's manifestations across the nine nights. The festival is observed as a state festival, drawing pilgrims from across the Telugu states.

The utsavam follows the Sharad Navaratri calendar, from Ashwayuja Shukla Padyami through Vijayadashami. Mornings begin with abhishekam and the day's alankaram; lakhs of devotees climb the hill steps or take the ghat road for darshan of that day's form. The day the goddess appears as Saraswati — fixed by Moola Nakshatra rather than a set tithi — is held especially auspicious, and families bring children for akshara abhyasam, the ceremonial first writing. Kumkumarchana, laksha pushparchana and chandi homam are performed through the festival. On Vijayadashami evening the deities are taken down to the Krishna for Teppotsavam, the float festival, in which utsava murtis of the goddess and Malleswara Swamy circle the river on a decorated swan barge as the ghats fill with lamps. Ayudha pooja and Vijayadashami rites close the celebration.

The Vijayawada utsavam itself belongs to Indrakeeladri, but Telugu families in Ottawa can keep its spirit fully at home. Sharad Navaratri is observed here as everywhere — with kalasha sthapana, daily Devi pooja, and Lalita Sahasranama or Mahishasura Mardini stotram in the evenings. Many families follow the Kanaka Durga alankaram sequence day by day through the temple's live streams and televised sevas, and time Saraswati pooja and akshara abhyasam to the Moola Nakshatra day shown in the panchang. Note that tithis in Eastern Time can differ by a day from timings published for India, so check a local panchang for Ottawa. Vijayadashami is a natural day for bommala koluvu visits, ayudha pooja for the tools of one's work, and starting children on new learning.