Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi is the presiding deity of Visakhapatnam city. The Hindu months of Sravanam (August) and Margasira (December) are considered highly auspicious to worship Kanaka Mahalakshmi Ammavaru. The temple is heavily crowded with devotees in these two months. The annual celebrations of the festival are held in Margasiram and Thursdays of Margasira masam are highly auspicious when special poojas are performed in the temple. So also Fridays of Sraavanam are specially important.
Maargasira Maasam is considered very auspicious and the annual celebrations are organized in this temple on four / five Thursdays of the month which are considered highly auspicious. Special poojas are performed to Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Devi on Margasira Thursdays. Thousands of devotees from the entire district throng the temple and perform various poojas like Abhishekam with milk, kumkumarchana and the like which include Lalita Sahasranaama Paaraayana. The uniqueness of the temple is that the devotees can directly perform Ksheerabhishekam.
According to the local story, the idol of Goddess Kanaka Mahalakshmi is found in a well, which was later taken out of the well in 1912 and placed in the temple.
Maargasira Thursdays are very auspicious and special for Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi. The local people of Vizag perform special worships to the Goddess on these Thursdays. People at home offer Paravaannam / Paayasam / Kheer as Naivedyam on Thursdays and recite Kanaka Mahalakshmi ashtakam on these days. Besdies Maargasira Maasam, even the Hindu month of Sraavanam which is important when the Telugu people celebrate Varalakshmi vratam and then visit the temple on four Fridays in Sraavanam Maasam.
Sthalapuram / Temple History
It is believed that the idol of the goddess was found in a well in 1912 C.E (Current Era). The idol was taken out from the well (which is presently in the temple premises and is closed) and was installed in the mid of the road. Later the Vizag Municipal has shifted the idol in 1917 while road widening.Later that year hundreds of citizens died due to the spread of the dangerous plague. The people of Visakhapatnam were terror struck and thought that the epidemic spread due to the shifting of the idol of Kanaka Mahalakshmi.
So for the well being of the citizens the idol was brought back / reinstalled in its original place. And within no time there was normalcy in the town. People believed that it was the miracle of the goddess.
The uniqueness of the temple is that devotees can directly touch the main idol and perform pooja irrespective of caste and creed. During festive occasions and on Thursdays the temple is heavily crowded and there is much of push and pull in front of the main idol. Devotees pour milk, coconut water, turmeric powder and vermilion (kumkuma) on the idol.