Ghats get ready for holy dip of lifetime

Hyderabad: TS tourism department will be showcasing a light and sound show depicting the journey of the river Godavari and the significance of the holy Pushkaram at Basar and Bhadrachalam.

Godavari Pushkaram will be held from July 14 to 25 this year. Towns like Basar in Adilabad, Dharmapuri, Kaleswaram in Karimnagar and Bhadrachalam in Khammam in TS draw huge crowds during the Pushkarams, which takes pace once every 12 years. The previous Pushkaram was held in 2003.

The Godavari Pushkaram is special this time because it’s a “Maha Pushkaram” which comes once every 144 years. This is very significant from the astronomical point of view, as “Brihaspati” (Jupiter) enters “Simha Rasi” (zodiac sign of Leo).

While the entire arrangements and logistics for the upcoming Godavari Pushkarams are being done by the endowments departments, the tourism department will be operating special packages for tourists who visit the Pushkaram sites, largely keeping in mind the spiritual nature of the event.

In TS, Basar, Bhadrachalam, Dharmapuri and Kaleswaram are the four major crowd pullers during the Pushkarams. Kandakurthy in Nizamabad district, where Godavari enters TS (Triveni Sangamam), is another famous Pushkaram ghat. It is the confluence of rivers Godavari, Manjeera and Haridra.

Located 215 km from Hyderabad, Basar is famous as the divine seat of Goddess Saraswati. Dating back to the Chalukya period, Basar shared the distinction of being one of the only two Saraswati temples in India, the second one being in Kashmir.

Along with the four major destinations, nearby tourist attractions like Nirmal (famous for paintings), Jannaram, Kadam dam and Kunatal falls will also be showcased.

“We are planning multimedia shows at Basar and Bhadrachalam. The shows will offer a narration of the story of Pushkarams and the journey of Godavari with a lot of ancient facts and legends thrown in” said principal secretary of tourism and culture, Mr B.P. Acharya.