Tungabhadra Pushkaralu begins in Gadwal

The event that recurs every 12 years will continue till Dec 1 in Telangana, AP

Hyderabad/Kurnool: Amid Covid-19 restrictions, Tungabhadra Pushkaralu began on Friday in Telangana with Ministers A Indrakaran Reddy, S Niranjan Reddy and V Srinivas Goud taking a dip in the river in Alampur Jogulamba-Gadwal district.

According to an official release, the State government made all arrangements for the event that recurs every 12 years. The Pushkaralu will be held till December 1.

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Due to the prevalence of Covid-19, the State government issued guidelines for devotees wanting to take a holy dip in the river and visit temples in Alampur and other places.
Pregnant women, children below the age of 10 and people above 65 years are advised not to participate in the Pushkaralu while devotees and pilgrims are requested to bring Covid-19 negative certificates for entry into pushkar ghats.

Otherwise they would be allowed only after thermal screening, an official release said on Thursday. Wearing a mask and maintaining a physical distance of six feet are compulsory at temples and bathing ghats, it added.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy inaugurated the 12-day Tungabhadra Pushkaralu in Kurnool district on Friday. Reddy landed at 12.10 pm in a special flight at the Orvakal airport and headed towards Sankal Bagh Pushkar Ghat in Kurnool for the inaugural ‘puja’ (prayer) of Tungabhadra Pushkaralu (pilgrimage), said an official.

He was scheduled to inaugurate the ‘Pushkaralu’ at 1.21 pm, but arrived some minutes later. According to pundits, post 1.21 pm on Friday, auspicious time will start in the Pushkaralu, which will last till December 1.

This year the riverfront religious confluence is being held amid the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic. The AP government arranged 23 ghats in the district where the river flows. However, ‘pushkara baths’ (spiritual bathing) is not allowed, which generally is an integral part of any ‘pushkaralu’.

Likewise, in view of the prevailing pandemic, the government is allowing certain rituals only after obtaining e-tickets. Devotees and a few saints took the holy bath in the Telangana side of the river, which flows between the two Telugu States until the vicinity of the Kurnool town. Several devotees from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are expected to participate in the ‘pushkaralu’.