A blissfully beautiful temple located in the city of Visakhapatnam, the Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Temple boasts a symmetry-driven structure with a strong historical background.
Dedicated to the Hindu community, the temple offers a divine, relaxing and peaceful atmosphere to the devotees of Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi and is certainly a place worth visiting for the Hindu community. The presiding idol, who is an incarnation of Shri Lakshmi, is believed to be the familiar deity of the rulers of this area at the time and they used to admire her as Ammavari.
Tourists who are planning their Vizag tour only for the weekend or a long week should take some time off for this religious place in Visakhapatnam. Generally, it is said that the presiding deity fulfills the wishes of all who come here to seek blessings with an open heart.
Another important reason that attracts people from different walks of life is its annual celebration of the Margasira Masa Mahotsavam festival which is enjoyed every year for one month. During this time, thousands of devotees flock to this temple to catch a glimpse of the Goddess and offer her prayers.
On Thursdays, the crowd increases to double or triple the number on the other days of the week, as it is considered an auspicious day of Sri Mahalakshmi. Other festivals in which the Goddess is decked out with all the exclusive ornaments are the Ugadi and Navarati occasions.
History of Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Temple, Visakhapatnam
There is an interesting story attached to the origin of the Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi temple. According to the locals, the idol of the presiding deity, Ammavari, was found in the well that was located near the fort of the then Rajas. In 1912 it was removed and placed in the center of the road. To widen the same road, the Municipal Council thought of moving the statue to another place and therefore installed it on the corner of the road.
Immediately after the whole incident, that is, in 1917, the city began to suffer from the disease called Plague and many people died in the village. Seeing the general condition, people were scared and realized that everything happened due to the movement of the idol from one place to another. And, to protect the city from this deadly disease, they bought the statue back to its original place where it was previously installed.
Due to the re-erection, the village was freed from the plague and the villagers had a sign of relief. Since then, the idol of Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi is worshiped by people with full faith and devotion.
Entry fee and hours of Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Temple, Visakhapatnam
The entrance fee to visit Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Temple in Visakhapatnam is INR 20 per person for a special darshan. It is open to its visitors 24 hours a day. However, the temple is closed from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 5:30 p.m. at 6:00 p.m. for cleaning purposes.
Transport
By Road:
APSRTC operates frequent buses from Dwaraka RTC complex in Visakhapatnam city. i.e. 5 KM
By Train:
The nearest railway station is Visakhapatnam railway station from Kanaka Mahalakshmi Temple i.e 3 K.m only.
By Air:
The nearest airport is Visakhapatnam Airport i.e. 13 KM
It is a Customs airport with flights to Hyderabad, Chennai, Banglore, Mumbai, Tirupathi, New Delhi, Port Blair, Raipur, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata. It also has International connectivity with Dubai via HYD, Singapore, Malaysia(Kuala Lumpur).
list of all hindu temples in andhra pradesh
Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Temple | Kanaka Durga Temple
Dwaraka Tirumala Temple | Chinna Tirupati, Godavari, Andhra Pradesh
Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy Temple, Annavaram, Andhra Pradesh
Simhachalam Lord Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, Andhra Pradesh
