VISAKHAPATNAM: The Goddess at
Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari temple
here was adorned with about Rs 5 crore worth of gold, silver and currency notes on Wednesday as part of the ongoing Dasara celebrations.
Devotees thronged the temple to get a glimpse of the
deity
who is worshipped in the avatar of Goddess Mahalakshmi.
The temple has been observing the tradition of decorating the Goddess with gold and
cash
for a while on a particular day during navarati, almost since the temple was built. However, it picked up pace in the last two decades with the offerings of cash and gold increasing manifold.
Navarati utsava committee chairman Chamarti Sridhar said the deity was garlanded and adorned with about 5 kg gold and silver and currency notes of various denominations, including foreign notes. “The decoration was done after special prayers in the early morning,” said Sridhar.
Devasthanam association president P Venkata Chandrasekhar and secretary D Balaji Kumar said the devotees feel it will bring them good luck if their gold and cash are offered to the Goddess on the occasion of ‘Devi Navaratri Ustavalu’. “It is firmly believed that it will improve their businesses and fortune. The tradition has been going on for several years. We will return the cash and gold to the devotees later,” they said.
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