Priests perform rituals before Goddess Kanaka Durga during the annual Shakambari Utsavam atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada on Monday. The deity was adorned as Sri Shakambari Devi with an elaborate arrangement of fresh vegetables, fruits, leafy greens, and flowers.
| Photo Credit: G.N. RAO
The Sakambari Utsavams began with religious fervour at the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada on Monday (July 27, 2026). The temple hill wore a verdant look as it was decorated to reflect the Goddess’s harita (green) form, symbolising nature’s abundance.The festival is a special occasion for transforming the presiding deity goddess Kanaka Durga into Sakambari Devi with fruit, vegetables, green leaves and flowers.The Devadthanam has been organising the festival since 2007 to propitiate the presiding deity for good rains, bountiful harvests, and copious yields of vegetables, and to ensure that there is no dearth of irrigation water.The priests adorned the idol of Goddess Kanaka Durga with all types of vegetables, including ridge gourd, coccinia, brinjals, lemons, and carrots on the occasion. The entire temple premises have also been decorated with vegetable garlands featuring green chillies. Bottle gourds were arranged on either side of the Goddess, while a garland of drumsticks was draped around her waist as part of the traditional adornment.The processional deities were also decorated with an assortment of vegetables, leafy greens, and fruits. Vegetable traders and devotees donated several tonnes of produce for the festival, which, now in its 19th year, will conclude on July 29.
