Saraswathi pushkaralu, sacred river festival begins in Telangana with gaiety

Hyderabad: The auspicious Saraswati Pushkaralu, a sacred river festival observed once every 12 years, began Thursday with great fervor at Kaleshwaram the revered confluence of the Godavari, Pranahita, and the subterranean Saraswati rivers that forms the holy Triveni Sangam in Telangana.

The Congress government has organized elaborate celebrations for this significant religious event. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangamam on Thursday evening and unveiled an impressive 17-foot monolithic statue of Goddess Saraswati during the ceremony. In a first for Telangana, the 'Kaleshwara Mukteeswara Swamy Godavari Harathi,' a special ritual, was conducted under the direct supervision of Minister D Sridhar Babu. The event is expected to draw thousands of devotees from across the region seeking spiritual blessings during this auspicious period, which continues until May 26.

"Pushkarams are being observed as part of preserving our culture and traditions," said Revanth Reddy. "For the first time since the formation of Telangana, we are celebrating Saraswati Pushkarams. I consider it my good fortune to host such events during my tenure. Rivers are not just our civilization we consider rivers as divine. In the coming days, let us celebrate Godavari and Krishna Pushkarams as well," he said.

The Chief Minister highlighted the special significance of Manthani constituency, noting, "PV Narasimha Rao made incomparable contributions in elevating our country's economy to the fourth position in the world. After that, Duddilla Sripad Rao maintained Manthani's reputation at that level. Now Minister Sridhar Babu has further enhanced Manthani's prestige by bringing investments to the state."

Minister Sridhar Babu explained that the state government has made comprehensive arrangements to conduct the Saraswati Pushkaralu from May 15 to 26, ensuring the event is celebrated with utmost grandeur and reverence. "A budget of Rs 40 crore has been allocated to facilitate the smooth and majestic organization of the Pushkaralu celebrations," he stated. "To ensure a seamless experience for devotees, officials from 19 different departments have worked collectively for nearly three months in planning and execution. With the intent of offering a unique spiritual experience, a 'Tent City' has been established to accommodate and serve the pilgrims," Sridhar Babu added. He added that for the first time in the state, the Godavari Harathi to Lord Kaleshwara Mukteshwara Swamy is being conducted by Vedic scholars invited from Kashi. This sacred ritual will be performed every evening throughout the duration of the Pushkaralu.

The Minister stressed the government's commitment to temple development across the state, noting that concrete steps have already been taken in this direction. "In view of the upcoming Godavari Pushkaralu, I appeal to the Chief Minister to allocate Rs 100 crore and approve a special master plan to develop Kaleshwaram as a prominent spiritual tourism destination," he added.