Goddess to be worshipped as Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi on fourth day of Dasara atop Indrakeeladri

Goddess Kanaka Durga in Sri Lalita Tripura Sundari Devi alankaram atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada, on the fourth day of Dasara festival.
| Photo Credit: File photo

The presiding deity of Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada will be adorned with Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi alankaram on the Aswyuja Suddha Chaviti, the fourth day of Dasara festival, on Octobnber 5 (Sunday). 

Explaining the significance of the alankaram, temple Vedic Scholar Samavedam Shanmukha Sastry says that Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi alankaram of the Goddess, who resides in the divine realm of Manidweepa surrounded by prosperity and spiritual energy, represents her supreme power and beauty.

Referring to the Puranas, the Vedic scholar says that Lord Hayagreeva told Sage Agastya that Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi removes maya (illusion) from the lives of devotees, helping them realise the true essence of existence. The Goddess is believed to grant clarity, wisdom, and liberation from worldly illusions.

On this day, appalu (a traditional sweet dish) is offered as naivedyam to the Goddess. Offering prayers to Lalitha Tripura Sundari brings success in endeavours and fulfilment of desires (karyasiddhi). The spiritual energy of the day is powerful for those seeking to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals, he says.

Lalitha Tripura Sundari is a form of the Goddess symbolising beauty, grace, and ultimate power over the three worlds (Tripura). The priests adorn the presiding deity as Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi as Adi Sankara installed a Sri Chakra at the temple here, due to which her fury turned into peace and serenity. The Goddess, in this form, is seated on Lord Siva, while Lakshmi Devi and Sarswati Devi are on her right and left with ‘Vinjamarams’ ( fans) in their hands.

The Goddess is to be meditated upon as seated on the lotus with petal eyes. She is golden-hued. She holds flowers, a noose, a goad and sugarcane or bow. The noose represents attachment, the goad represents repulsion, the sugarcane and bow means the mind and the arrows are the five sense objects.

She is the second form of ‘Tripura Trayam’ and is the ultimate, primordial Shakti, the light of manifestation existing prior to Brahma, Visnhu, and Siva. She represents the five basic elements of the universe (panchabhuta)—vayu (air), jala (water), agni (fire), bhumi (earth) and akasa (space).