Durga temple Antharalayam darshanam turns dearer

Vijayawada, October 9: It became a regular practice to increase the prices of various tickets during Dasara festivities at Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada and to continue them later. 
 
Earlier, the ticket price of Antaralayam darshanam at the temple was Rs 50 and Rs 100. The temple officials have hiked the price to Rs 300 during Dasara festivities in the past. This year, they have increased the rate to Rs 500 from Rs 300.
 
This price hike was drawing flak from devotees and others. They alleged that it is not right to increase the ticket rate by Rs 200 at once by giving two laddoos, which cost about Rs 30 only. They criticized that the temple authorities are increasing the prices but not providing minimum facilities in the temple. 
 
According to sources, more number of devotees used to have Goddess darshan when the Antaralayam darshanam ticket was Rs 100. But after the ticket rate was increased to Rs 300, devotees’ number drastically fell.