Hyderabad: Saraswati Antya Pushkaralu began with great pomp and grandeur as devotees gathered in large numbers to take part in the sacred event.
On the first day of the Pushkaralu, the inaugural Pushkara Snanam was performed at the holy Sangam at 5:43 am. The sacred bath was observed by Kanchi Kamakoti Peethadhipati Sri Shankar Vijayendra Saraswati Swamulu, IT and Industries Minister Dudilla Sridhar Babu along with his wife, Endowments Minister Konda Surekha, Endowments Department Commissioner Hanumantha Rao, District Collector Rahul Sharma, religious advisor Sri Govinda Hari, and several other dignitaries.
MLAs Gandra Satyanarayana Rao and Mal Reddy Rangareddy from Bhupalpalli and Rangareddy constituencies also participated in the Pushkara Snanam ceremony.
A large number of devotees arrived at the venue to perform the holy bath during the auspicious occasion. The district administration made extensive arrangements to ensure that devotees did not face any inconvenience.
Facilities
Facilities including security, cleanliness, drinking water, medical services, and transportation were arranged for the convenience of pilgrims.
District Collector Rahul Sharma said that all departments are working together in coordination to help devotees perform the Pushkara Snanam safely and comfortably during the Pushkaralu celebrations.
The Pushkar bathing rituals, which run from May 21 to June 1, are expected to draw between 30 and 40 lakh pilgrims, for whom the government has made extensive arrangements at an outlay of Rs 30.63 crore.
A prominent seer from a different peetham will take the ritual bath each day during the 12-day period. Daily homams will be conducted in the mornings, with large-scale cultural programmes scheduled each evening. A special museum has been set up under the aegis of the Endowments Department at a cost of Rs 1.20 crore, while the Nagendra Swami temple at the site has been renovated at a cost of Rs 30 lakh.
Drawing on lessons from last year’s Saraswati Adi Pushkaralu, officials said they had made more robust preparations this time. Given the intensity of the summer heat, coir mats, shade shelters and ORS packets have been arranged at the ghats.
Expert swimmers deployed
For water safety, 100 specially trained expert swimmers have been deployed along the Saraswati Ghat and the river stretch, supported by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, safety boats and life rings. A total of 90 shuttle buses will ferry pilgrims to the bathing ghats.
On the medical front, 23 dedicated camps have been set up across as many zones at the Kaleshwaram Pushkar Ghat, staffed by 300 medical officers and paramedical personnel. Ambulances have been positioned at all major points, and the Mahadevpur Primary Health Centre has been designated as a referral hospital.
Parking has been arranged across 245 acre spread over 23 locations, with a capacity for approximately 1.70 lakh vehicles. Drinking water facilities and toilets have been provided at each parking area, in addition to around 500 portable toilets installed at the ghat. Two overhead reservoir tanks have been constructed for drinking water supply.
LED lighting has been put up along the routes leading to the bathing ghats, and 200 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras have been installed across parking areas, ghats and the temple precincts. Uninterrupted power supply has been ensured throughout the event period.
