Pranahita Pushkaralu ends on a colourful note in Mancherial, Asifabad

Mancherial: The 12-day long Pranahita pushkaralu concluded on a colorful note at the three venues in Mancherial and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts on Sunday. Over 6 lakh devotees from several parts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Karnataka states took part in the festival. The festival was celebrated for the first time following the […]

Mancherial: The 12-day long Pranahita pushkaralu concluded on a colorful note at the three venues in Mancherial and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts on Sunday. Over 6 lakh devotees from several parts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Karnataka states took part in the festival.

The festival was celebrated for the first time following the creation of Telangana state. It started at the venues created on the shores of Pranahita at Arjunagutta village in Kotapalli mandal, and Vemanapalli mandal centre of Mancherial district and Thummidihetti village in Koutala mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district on April 13.

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Elaborate arrangements including bathing ghats, temporary toilets, separate dress changing rooms for women and men, lighting system, parking lots, emergency, approach roads and drinking water facilities were created for the convenience of the devotees. Funds Rs 75 lakh were granted for making the arrangements. Telangana State Road Transportation Corporation plied special buses from Chennur to Arjunagutta, Vemanapalli and Kaghaznagar to Thummidihetti.

Forest Minister Allola Indrakaran Reddy, along with his wife Vijaya Laxmi, Government Whip Balka Suman and his wife Rani Alekya formally inaugurated Pranahita Pushkaralu or mass holy bathing festival at Arjunagutta village in Kotapalli mandal on April 13. He performed special prayers to mark the commencement of the festival and praised officials concerned for making the arrangements.

Devotees from Warangal, Hyderabad, different parts of neighboring Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka made a beeline to the venues. A major proportion of them had a holy dip in the river at Arjunagutta village, considering accessibility and transportation facilities. On an average, 50,000 devotees took part in the festival in three venues per day. They expressed satisfaction over the arrangements.

The devotees performed rituals such as Shraddam and Tarpanam at the time of the holy dip in the river. For instance, Tarpanam or offerings are made to elders and ancestors seeking heaven for them. It is believed that three crore deities would dip in the river and humans can remove sins by taking a dip in. Dip is meant for worshiping the goddess of the river and to thank her, according to vedic scholars.

Aarati, a special attraction

By roping priests of several temples across the State, the Endowment department organized Aarati ceremony at the venues, praising the river everyday evening. The event added beauty to the festival. The sleepy Arjunagutta, Vemanapalli and Thummidihetti villages have come alive with the arrival of thousands of devotees at the venues located on the outskirts of these habitations.

 

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