Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to invite president Pranab Mukherjee, besides chief ministers and governors of other states for the mega event of Godavari pushkarams to be started from July 14, 2015. As they are being conducted for the first time after formation of the state, he has been planning to make arrangements in a big way on the lines of Kumbha Mela and started preparations one head in advance.
Chief Minister has also decided pontiffs of Kanchi, Sringeri and other peethamsm besides religious heads. Underscoring the spiritual importance of the pushkarams, he said “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.”
He suggested to the officials to invite religious heads to give religious discourses, conduct spiritual and cultural programmes during the pushkarams.Conducting a review meeting on arrangements with the officials, the chief minister said the Godavari is known as ‘Dakshina Ganga’ and the pushkarams should be conducted in a big way.
Ahead of pushkarams, he said all the temples near Godavari river should be renovated and 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.
