By Rajulapudi Srinivas
Copyright thehindu
With thousands of devotees arriving in Vijayawada from different parts of the State to have darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga on the auspicious ‘Moola Nakshatram’ day, heavy rush was witnessed at the Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) and the railway station on Sunday.
Traffic jams were reported on all the main roads and junctions leading to Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam, a day ahead of ‘Moola Nakshatram’, the birth star of Goddess Saraswati Devi.
Many students were also seen at bus and railway stations, heading to their native places for the Dasara festivities. With the introduction of the ‘Stree Sakthi’ free bus travel scheme for women, APSRTC buses ran to full capacity.
All platforms at PNBS were jam-packed and serpentine queues were witnessed, while traffic moved slowly on the Vijayawada–Hyderabad and Vijayawada–Visakhapatnam National Highways as pilgrims poured into the city. Devotees faced severe inconvenience due to traffic congestion at Krishnalanka, Patamata, Benz Circle and other busy junctions on Sunday. To manage the situation, officials announced traffic diversions and ‘No Vehicle Zones’ at various points in Vijayawada starting Monday. Tight security arrangements will also be in place for Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s visit to Indrakeeladri on the occasion of ‘Moola Nakshatram’. As per the police, all vehicles will be diverted at PNBS in-gate, Kummaripalem Centre, Tadepalli checkpost and Gadda Bomma Centre. No vehicle will be allowed towards the Kanaka Durga temple from Sunday 7.30 p.m. until 10 a.m. on September 30 (Tuesday).
