Godavari Pushkaralu in Telangana

Godavari Pushkaralu in Telangana- Godavari Pushkaralu 2015 in Telangana state..

One need not go all the way to Rajahmundry in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to take a holy dip in the Godavari as pushkarams are being held in Telangana next year.

The Telangana government is making grand arrangements to organise Godavari puskharams for the first time in the new State. These puskharams will be conducted in Telangana rivalling the famed Rajahmundry event.

The state government is making  arrangements one year ahead of Godavari pushkarams, which will be held from July 14, 2015. The Godavari pushkarams have a speciality, as they are being conducted for the first time after the formation of Telangana state. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao conducted a review meeting on the pushkarams at Secretariat on Friday.

The Chief Minister has decided to invite President Pranab Mukherjee, Chief Ministers and Governors of other states for the mega event. Underscoring the spiritual importance of the pushkarams, the Chief Minister also decided to invite pontiffs of Kanchi, Sringeri and other peethams. “There is a belief among people that the dip in holy rivers during pushkarams will get them “punya”. So, the conduct of Godavari pushkarams should be in a grand manner,” the Chief Minister told the officials.

He suggested to the officials to invite religious heads to give religious discourses, conduct spiritual and cultural programmes during the pushkarams.

“The Godavari is known as ‘Dakshina Ganga’ and the pushkarams should be conducted in a big way on the lines of Kumbh Mela,” the Chief Minister said. All the temples near Godavari river will be renovated.  The government will provide transport to people from Maharashtra.

Bathing ghats will be constructed at all important places along the banks of Godavari.

A delegation consisting of state government advisor KV Ramanachary, KCR’s mentor Mrutyunjay Sarma, Plakurthi Nrusimha Siddhanti, Yayavaram Chandrasekhara Siddhanti and Astakala Rammohan Sarma will soon meet Sringeri Peethadhipati Sankaracharya to seek his advice on the conduct of pushkarams. The Chief Minister wanted main priests of Basara, Dharmapuri, Kaleswaram, Bhadrachalam, Vemulawada, Yadagirigutta and Jogulamba temples be made part of the delegation.

The state will also invite those settled abroad to visit Telangana in July 2015. The  government will soon launch a website exclusively for the pushkarams. The Chief Minister told the officials that he would conduct another meeting soon with priests of important temples, Siddhantis and the main priest who conducts Kumbh Mela to finalise the plans for the pushkarams.

Godavari pushkarams will be held from July 14, 2015

Around 2.5 crore people are likely to have holy dip in Godavari during the 12-day religious jamboree

Event assumes significance as it is going to be held for the first time in new state Telangana govt goes all-out to make the event a mega success

Pushkarams will be conducted at Basara, Dharmapuri, Kaleswaram, Bhadrachalam and in all other important temple towns along Godavari river course

KCR decides to invite President Pranab Mukherjee, CMs, Governors of other states

Pontiffs of Kanchi, Sringeri and other peethams to be the special attraction

Godavari Cleaning for Pushkaralu?

Water at Basar is highly muddied, while other places have no or less water. The river will also not receive any major inflows until July 1, 2015, barely 14 days ahead of the Pushkaralu, when the gates of the controversial Babli project in Dharmabad of Maharashtra will be lifted. The inflows will be subject to a good beginning of monsoon next.

The purity of Godavari water, or sanitation on its banks at various pushkar ghats in Adilabad, is inversely proportional to the sanctity and holiness attached with the river. This is a major cause of concern which has surprisingly been ignored by the government, though it has begun preparations for the event to take place in July next year.

The Godavari Pushkaralu will be held at the bathing ghats at Basar, Soan in Nirmal mandal, Gudem near Luxettipet, in Mancherial and Chennur. While water at Basar is highly muddied and murky owing to pollution, none of the other four places has enough water for devotees to have a holy dip, as water has not been discharged from the Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) in Nizamabad.

There being deficient rainfall last monsoon, there’s hardly any flow in Godavari river which has rendered it a backwater reservoir of the SRSP. The water level is also precariously low not only near villages along the river banks, but in SRSP too where the current storage level is said to be about 30 tmcft.

The river will also not receive any major inflows until July 1, 2015, barely 14 days ahead of the Pushkaralu, when the gates of the controversial Babli project in Dharmabad of Maharashtra will be lifted. The inflows will be subject to a good beginning of monsoon next.

Thota Ramesh, a boatman in Basar, says even the present quantum of murky water will dry up in March-April. “The government can remove the silt which will increase the storage capacity of the river near the Pushkar ghats,” he opines.

But before that, Basar will see a heavy rush of devotees during Sankranti, Guru Pournami, Ugadi and other festivals. The polluted water is bound to pose health problems to the devotees, who invariably will take a holy dip, notwithstanding the quality or depth of water.

“We do not have a system to regularly monitor pollution in Godavari,” points out an Irrigation Department official when asked about the safety of the devotees. “The government can prevent pollution to a greater extent by desiltation and construction of silt arresting structures in the catchment of the SRSP,” he suggests.

Source - The Hindu.

Pushkarams for 12 Rivers

Pushkaram (Pushkaralu / Pushkarams) is a festival of rivers confined to 12 important rivers in India which occurs once in 12 years for each river. 12 years of time is also referred to as 'Pushkaram' or Pushkara Kaalam in Hindu calendar.


The river for each year festival is  based on the presence of Jupiter (Guru / Brihaspati) on which Zodiac sign (Rashi) by that time.


The pushkaram lasts  for a period as long as the Jupiter remains in that particular Rashi..


When Jupiter transits through Aries (Mesha Rashi), Ganga Pushkaralu comes. Like that, Taurus (Vrishabha Rashi) - Narmada Pushkarams, Gemini (Mithuna Rashi) - Saraswati Pushkarams, Cancer (Karkataka Rashi) - Yamuna Pushkaralu, Leo (Simha Rashi) - Godavari Pushkarams, Virgo (Kanya Rashi) - Krishna Pushkaralu, Libra (Tula Rashi) - Kaveri Pushkarams, Scorpio (Vrschika Rashi) - Tambrapani Pushkarams, Sagittarius (Dhanu Rashi) - Brahmaputra Pushkarams, Capricorn (Makara Rashi) - Tungabhadra Pushkarams, Aquarius (Kumbha Rashi) - Sindhu Pushkarams, Pisces (Meena Rashi) - Pranahita Pushkaralu..

Godavari Pushkarams from July 14, 2015

Andhra Pradesh government has chalked up a major plan to make massive arrangements for Godavari Pushkarams commencing from July 14, 2015 at a cost of Rs. 900 crore.

The Cabinet Sub-committee with Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu in chair met here on Friday and discussed the arrangements to be made for Godavari Pushkarams with officials of various departments.

It is estimated that about four to five crore devotees would participate in the Pushkarams and arrangements would have to be made on that scale.

Later addressing a media conference, Endowments Minister Manikyala Rao along with Women and Child Welfare and Mines Minister Peethala Sujata said works for the Godavari Pushkarams would commence from December and 256 ghats would be developed including 136 old ghats.

Mr. Manikyala Rao said measures would be taken to restore 327 ancient temples. Of Rs. 900 crore estimated expenditure, proposals were sent to the Centre to fund works worth Rs. 600 crore. The remaining Rs.300 crore would be spent by the State government through various departments.

Ms. Sujatha said sanitation would be accorded top priority and directions were given to officials to improve medical facilities and amenities such as drinking water, roads and transport and supply of essential commodities including milk for children.

The State government would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the inauguration of Pushkarams.

‘Godavari Harathi’ would be organised at Rajahmundry and Kovvur ghats all through 12 days of Pushkarams. Replicas of prominent temples would be erected at Pushkara Ghats, she said.

Source - The Hindu