Tungabhadra Pushkaralu: Priests from neighbouring TS, Karnataka rush to AP

KURNOOL: Anticipating a bonanza, purohits are coming to Kurnool district from within AP and neighbouring districts of Telangana state and Karnataka in hope of making some money during the Tungabhadra Pushkarams, a once-in-12-years event, to be held all along the course of the Tungabhadra river from November 20 to December 1.

Presence of priests is sine qua non for people to perform ‘pinda pradhana’ in honour of their ancestors. As a precautionary measure, the Kurnool district administration has made mandatory Covid-19 tests for purohits, who will have to compulsorily wear masks and wash their hands frequently with sanitisers.
The district administration is cataloguing all priests and will start issuing them high security identity cards from Tuesday, November 17. The endowments department has said purohits will have to produce a "Coronavirus negative report” to obtain their identity cards, said V.L.L.N. Sastry, a purohit in Mantralayam.

Due to fears of a second wave of Coronavirus pandemic striking, Kurnool administration has banned devotees from having a dip in the river. The devout will have to remain content with just sprinkling water over their heads.
An endowment official said there are 21 bathing ghats along the course of Tungabhadra river in the district. Each ghat will have presence of 15 purohits. During the 2008 Pushkarams, their number was 20 at each ghat.

District administration taking measures to be vigilant as there is a wave of opinion spreading within the public that people must be allowed to freely have a holy dip in the river.

The opinion is spreading despite the administration banning bathing in the river due to the risk of Covid-19 pandemic spreading along the river course if any of the patients are Coronavirus positive or even asymptomatic.