The Tuljapur Navratri festival began on October 11 with the temple administration preparing to receive around 1.5 lakh devotees each day during the annual celebrations. The temple has increased its darshan capacity to manage the expected rise in visitors, according to a temple announcement reported by Prajavani.
The festival of Goddess Tulja Bhavani will begin with Ghatasthapana, the ceremonial installation marking the start of Navratri. The opening day will also include the goddess’s ascension to the throne and a Chhabina procession at night.
The temple’s schedule includes daily worship rituals from October 12 to 14, followed by a series of special ceremonies. A chariot-decoration Mahapuja is planned for October 15, while special decorations will be offered on October 16 for Murali, on October 17 for Sheshashayi and on October 18 for Bhavani Khadga.
The programme will continue with the Mahishasuramardini decoration Mahapuja and Vedic homa on October 19. On October 20, the temple will conduct a special Mahapuja, homa offering, Shami puja and collective Seemollanghan. Vijayadashami-related observances will take place on October 21, including the goddess’s Shivakarohan and Manchaki Nidra rituals.
Further ceremonies are scheduled around Kojagiri Purnima. The temple will conduct the goddess’s ascension to the throne, daily worship and a night Chhabina on October 25, followed by a special Mahapuja after the full moon on October 26.
The expected daily footfall places crowd movement and darshan management at the centre of the festival’s operations. The temple’s decision to increase darshan capacity is the main visitor-management measure identified in the announcement. The report does not provide details of road diversions, parking arrangements, public transport services, medical facilities or crowd-control plans outside the temple premises.
Devotees seeking different forms of abhishek puja through the online service have been asked to contact temple priest Sanjay Dhumal at least 15 days in advance. The temple announcement provided the contact number 9850029302 for this purpose.
The festival will therefore combine a high-volume daily pilgrimage with a month-long sequence of religious observances. The next scheduled milestone is the continuation of daily worship from October 12, followed by the special decoration ceremonies beginning October 15.
