Sale of online tickets for Dasara celebrations at Kanaka Durga Temple in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada began on Friday. A total of 10,000 devotees are permitted at the celebration per day.
The Kanaka Durga Temple is located on the Indrakeeladri hill in Vijayawada.
The temple's chairman Paila Sominayudu and Executive Officer (EO) Suresh Babu said that Dasara celebrations will be held keeping COVID-19 restrictions in mind.
After a meeting with the District Collector, Police Commissioner, City Municipal Commissioner and other authorities, the chairman and EO informed the decisions taken regarding the conduct of the Dasara festival.
The temple authorities said the festival will be celebrated from October 17 to October 25. Tickets for free darshans and charged darshans must be booked online as per the time slot.
"Children below the age of 10 years and elders above 65 and specially-abled people will not be allowed. All special poojas will be conducted in a virtual manner while only darshan will be allowed. There will be no distribution of prasad and other special provisions," said Sominayudu.
"Devotees should go on foot only as there will be no transport facility available to the hillock. Only those having online booked tickets will be allowed in the queue. Head tonsuring service has been stopped," Babu said.
The temple chairman and EO said that all the temple staff will be tested for COVID-19 five days before the beginning of Dasara celebrations.
Usually, 80,000 to one lakh devotees throng the temple in the Dasara season. But the numbers are expected to drop in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
( With inputs from ANI )
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