The successful conduct of Godavari Pushkaralu in the State on par with Kumbh Mela sans any untoward incident or stampede is a matter of satisfaction, according to Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy and Home Minister Nayani Narsihma Reddy.
Addressing mediapersons jointly at Secretariat here on Monday, the ministers said some 6.64 crore pilgrims from various States thronged the pushkar ghats in Telangana and took holy dip during the 12-day mega event without any incident. They attributed the success of the pushkar festivities to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s direction and collective efforts by all the departments.
The ministers flayed that the previous governments had confined pushkaralu to just Rajahmundry and ignored the same in Telangana from where Godavari starts flowing to Andhra region. “We conducted pushkaralu in complete grandeur with 6.64 crore people from various States taking holy dip in the Godavari in five districts that went off very peacefully. Peoples’ cooperation, round-the-clock surveillance, deployment of 25,000 police personnel helped them conduct the event peacefully. KCR pressed in the officials well in advance with funds coupled with services by NGOs, The Satya Sai Trust and others distributed food among the devotees, they said, adding that water, power, sanitation and other facilities were provided at the all 106 pushkar ghats.
In a similar fashion, the State government would make elaborate arrangements for the ensuing Sammakka and Saralamma Jathara in February next and Krishna Pushkralu, they added. (NSS)