10,000 priests for Krishna Pushkaralu

Amaravati: The endowment department is issuing identity cards to the purohits to perform pitru karma, pinda pradanam and other pujas during Krishna Pushakaralu.

Only the identity card holding purohits would be allowed to perform pujas and other traditional rituals in the Krishna Pushkaralu. As many as 10,000 purohits would be appointed for traditional pitru karma, pinda pradanam during Krishna Pushkaralu from Guntur and Krishna districts. The Krishna Pushkarlu would start on August 12 and end on August 23.

As many as 74 ghats would be available to the public for holy bath and puja rituals during Krishna Pushkaralu. As many as 2 to 3 lakh devotees are expected to visit per day to the Pushkar ghats and the officials are analysing 8,000 to 10,000 purohits to perform the rituals.

According to the purohits, five types of holy baths namely Devata snanam (bath) from 3 am to 4 am, Rushi snanam from 4 am to 5 am, Yati (Seer) snanam from 5 am to 6 am, Manava (public) snanam from 6 am to sunset and Rakshasa (demon) snanam from sunset to midnight.

The seers, ministers and higher officials will perform in the early hours and the common public will perform during day time. According to the reports, the purohits had earned thousands of rupees during 10 days of Godavari Pushkaralu. So now the purohits are expecting the same rush for the official identity cards.

There are allegations that some leaders of Brahmin associations are collecting Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per application assuring identity card. Purohit, G. Venkateswara Rao said that the Pushkaralu are once in a life time opportunity to serve the public and to earn some money during the 10 days, so the purohits are flooding applications.     

Vedic scholar pundit P.V. Gowrisankar said that pitru karma or pinda pradanam is a must ritual during Pushkaralu as the people will pray for passed away parents seeking peace to their souls. He said every person who comes to Pushkaralu would perform pinda pradanam.

So there would be huge demand for purohits. He said that only Apara Karma doing purohits will perform pinda pradanam. Lamenting over the poor facilities to the devotees during Godavari Pushkaralu, Mr Gowrisankar urged the government to make foolproof arrangements.

Endowments deputy commissioner Suresh Babu said the identity cards issued by associations would not be acceptable. He said that identity cards to archakas would be issued by the endowments department free of cost and said that 6,000 purohits in Krishna ghats and 4,000 purohits in Guntur ghats would be appointed.