GODAVARI PUSHKARAM - 2003
The rivers of India
have been closely associated with our history and civilization.
Entwined with spirituality and philosophy, they have always been
worshipped as personifications of divinity. The places located
at the course of rivers are treated as sacred. Since time immemorial
river worship is known as Puhkaram to make the people realise
the importance of water, the life-sustaining force.
Pushkaram is a holy
happening once in every 12 years at each of the 12 major rivers
of India, the Godavari being one among them. Every 12th year Jupiter’s
entry into the constellation Leo marks the Pushkaram for Godavari.
It is believed that during this period all deities with the rishis
(holy men) enter the particular river for a holy dip. It is a
belief that the rituals like snana (bath), dana (charity),
japa (recitation), archana (worship) and dhyana
(meditation),performed during Pushkaram bless the people in every
sphere of their lives .
Andhra Pradesh extended
a hearty welcome to all pilgrims and tourists who arrived for
the Godavari Pushkaram which began on 30th July, 2003 and ended
on 10th August, 2003. Enriched with abundant cultural heritage,
Andhra Pradesh boasts of many temple towns on the banks of the
Godavari river. Pushkara Mahotsavam was held at nine prominent
temple towns in the State. They were Basara in Adilabad, Dharmapuri
and Kaleswaram in Karimnagar, Bhadrachalam in Khammam, Kovvuru
in West Godavari and Rajahmundry, Pattiseema, Drasksharamam and
Antharvedi in East Godarvari districts. A large number of pilgrims
converged in these places. To give a wide publicity to the festival,
the State Tourism Department organised literary and cultural programmes
at all the temple towns along with exhibitions. Ethnic Food Festivals
were an added attraction. The literary and cultural programmes
included religious discourses, devotional music, poetic symposia,
dance ballets, stage plays, and various other popular forms of
entertainment.
The State Information
and Public Relations Department was the nodal agency for publicising
Pushkaram. It published a book titled Godavari Pushkarams -
Darshaneeya Shketralu in 6 languages. It also printed one
lakh posters in Oriya, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, English
and Hindi to be distributed in all the States and Union Territories.
About 100 hoardings were set up all over the State besides outdoor
publicity campaigns on bus panels. Public announcement booths
were installed at 88 bathing ghats in the temple towns alongside
the Godavari. There were around 10 media centres and 80 information
centres equipped with telephone, computer, e-mail and Internet
facilities for the journalists.
To educate the visiting
tourists about the significance of the holy festival, 7000 hoardings
were put up in each of the seven districts. They elaborated on
the precautions and guidelines for keeping the surroundings neat
and clean during the holy dip. Around 500 slides were also prepared
to educate the tourists on environmental issues and places of
tourism. All India Radio and Doordharshan had made elaborate arrangements
for broadcasting and telecasting the Pushkaram events. The Department
of Posts released four special covers depicting the Godavari Rail-Road
Bridge at Rajahmundry, Goutam Maharshi, Sir Arthur Cotton and
Kandukuri Veereshalingam. To create a cultural atmosphere, publicity
was also mounted through the folk media. Around 34 thousand persons
including volunteers from NGOs, NSS, NCC, Scouts and Guides were
in attendance for providing various services to the pilgrims.
All volunteers were trained to help the large congregations everywhere.
Transport Facilities
The South Central
Railway made elaborate arrangements to transport 2.50 lakh pilgrims
every day during the 12 day-long Godavari Pushkaram. As many as
396 special trains were organized for this mega-religious event
from Rajahmundry and Basara. Around 500 personnel of the Railway
Police Force were deployed to conduct vigilance checks and prevent
thefts.
The Andhra Pradesh
State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) operated nearly 1100
special buses for the Godavari Pushkaram –2003. It arranged special
package tours from Rajahmundry on various routes. Similar package
tours were also arranged from other districts. The RTC provided
amenities like shelters, computer reservation counters, seating
accommodation, drinking water, temporary toilets, canteens, temporary
telephone booths at control points and cell phones. It also arranged
medical camps at temporary bus stations for passengers.
Security
Over 15,000 police
personnel were deployed for the twelve-day Godavari Pushkarams
along the banks of the river. Besides, 10,572 policemen were posted
in East and West Godavari districts. An elaborate police arrangement
was made in view of the gathering of over five crore pilgrims
from different parts of the country. A control room was established
at Hyderabad. Better communication system and 200 CCTV facility
were provided at important bathing ghats to monitor the crowds.
Boats and trained police swimmers are deployed at strategic places
around the ghats to prevent any mishap. Luckily, the mega event
passed off without any untoward happening anywhere.
Health Measures
The State Department
of Health provided medical assistance to the pilgrims and prevented
the outbreak of epidemics during the Pushkarams. The State Government
deployed medical personnel, equipment and medicines at all 164
bathing ghats in all the seven districts from July 30 to August
10. The banks of the river were chlorinated regularly. There was
a strict monitoring of food and drinking water on the lines of
the model adopted at the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in 2001.
The Andhra Pradesh
Government spent Rs. 172 crore and made a request to the Planning
Commission for a grant of Rs. 100 crore for undertaking construction
of permanent structures, bathing ghats, renovation of temples
and laying of roads. The 12-day Godavari Pushkaram in Andhra Pradesh
was a grand success by all accounts.
Inputs
from P.J. Sudhakar, PRO (Defence) Secunderabad
