Chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao will formally inaugurate the Godavari pushkarams at Dharmapuri in Karimnagar on July 14 between 6.26 a.m. to 6.38 am, an auspicious muhurtam fixed by the pandits.
When Rao took a holy dip in 2003 pushkarams at Dharmapuri in Karimnagar district, he vowed to take a holy dip in the next pushkarams at Dharmapuri, if Telangana state was carved. Thus, Rao was fulfilling his vow.
With just 12 days left for Godavari pushkarams, the state government made all arrangements for the major event.
Works on 106 ghats were almost completed and the government has fixed prices for the priests to perform various rituals for the pilgrims during the 12-day pushkarams.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, endowments minister A Indra Karan Reddy said at all the 106 pushkar ghats, toilet facilities, drinking water and road connectivity were provided. The minister said the government was expecting around six to eight crore pilgrims to attend the pushkarams.
Two helicopters would be kept ready at Begumpet airport, which would be used for VIPs and also for general public on payment. Helipads were constructed at Basara, Dharmapuri, Kaleswaram and Bhadrachalam towns.
As many as 18,000 police personnel would be deployed for safety and security of the pilgrims. Even, additional police force from Maharashtra and Karnataka too would be deployed, he added.
State government advisor KV Ramanachary said that the priests who would perform Ganga puja, sankalpam and pinda pradanam and they would be given identity cards and rates were fixed as desired by the priests.
“The rates for each seva will be displayed at all the ghats so that the pilgrims will not be exploited by the priests,” Ramanachary said.
The state government sanctioned Rs 600 crore for pushkaram works. The Centre released only Rs 50 crore to the state for pushkarams, whereas the Centre released Rs 100 crore each to AP and Maharashtra.
Source: The New Indian Express