Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada
Vijayawada has many attractions in its store for people visiting the city and one of those is the Kanakadurga Temple. It is a renowned Hindu temple located in the city of Vijayawada and is devoted to Goddess Durga. There are many legends which are famous with the existence of the temple and each has a very interesting tale to go with it. One of them states that the temple was built by Arjuna for Goddess Durga when he wanted to obtain the Pasupatha Astra from Lord Shiva.
According to another popular legend the now copious Vijayawada was initially a barren uncultivable and squalid patch of land with small hillocks spread in the entire region. The hillocks strewn in the entire area obstructed the flow of River Krishna from entering the place. Incantations were made to Lord Shiva for His blessings and interventions, after which Lord Shiva directed the hills to give way to River Krishna and then the river flowed in the area with umpteen forces. That is how the place got its name as Bezawada which slowly underwent metamorphosis and became the present Vijayawada.
There are many other legends which go with the place but apart from those there are many other interesting details to know about the temple too.
The temple has a four foot high idol of Goddess Durga in a standing position which depicts the scene of piercing the demon Mahishasura with her trident. It is a massive structure and shows Goddess Durga with eight hands armed with her eight powerful weapons. The idol is magnificently adorned with glittering ornaments and beautiful flowers; thus epitomizing beauty and power in one.
The Kanakadurga Temple is situated on the Indrakiladri Hill on the banks of River Krishna and it occupies an important place in the scriptures and Vedas of Hindus. As per the Vedas the deity in the Kanakadurga Temple is considered as 'Swayambhu' or self-manifested, hence it is believed to be very powerful and auspicious.
The Temple is located in the city of Vijayawada and is at a distance of only 10 minutes drive from the railway station as well as the bus stand. The temple is at a distance of 20 km from the airport. Vijayawada is a very important town of Andhra Pradesh. The state capital Hyderabad is at a distance of only 275 Kms from Vijayawada. The city is well connected via rail road and air. The ideal time to visit the place is during winters as the summers are excessively hot in Vijayawada.