Durga temple closed after special ritual

It will re-open at 9 am today after holy bath

: Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam kick-started a three-day
pavitrotsavams here on Wednesday.

For the first time during the pavitrotsavams, the devasthanam authorities closed the temple after offering maha nivedana to the presiding deity goddess Kanaka Durga at around 12.30 p.m. The temple would be re-opened on Thursday at 9 a.m. after performing snapanabhishekam.

The temple priests performed ashtha bandhanam ritual. The temple authorities, however, kept it a low-key affair. The idol of the presiding deity, the sanctum sanctorum and its surroundings would be thoroughly checked and repairs would be carried out if necessary as part of the ashtha bandhanam. Various herbs and rubber-like substances are used in
ashtha bandhanam. The ritual is performed if there were any “disturbances” close to the idol. Fissures form due to repeated pouring of abhishekha dravyams and other rituals.

To avoid further corrosion, the priests use herbs while performing the ritual, sources say.

When contacted, Temple Sthanacharya Sivaprasada Sarma said it was part of usual procedures.

The ashtha bandhanam was performed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in 2006. The Srisailam Devasthanam also proposed to conduct the ritual as a gap between the sivalingam and the panavattam was noticed.

However, the proposal was shelved as there was no unanimous opinion on
muhurtam and other related aspects.