RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM : Pilgrims’ flow spiked on the second day of the Godavari Antya Pushkarams on Monday. The closure of educational institutions in the state due to the AISF bandh call came in handy for pilgrims to troop in with their families.
So far, as many as 1.25 lakh pilgrims took a holy dip in the river in the 15 ghats in the district. In Rajamahendravaram city alone, over 50,000 pilgrims took a holy dip.
The officials are expecting a bigger turnout on Tuesday, which is considered auspicious to do Pinda Pradanams (offering to departed ancestors). As a result, the police has beefed up security arrangements and the APSRTC is operating bus services to various ghats from the Central Bus Station. The civic body is taking care of the sanitation and is providing drinking water to the pilgrims with headtop water cans.
As many as 10,000 devotees participated in the Godavari Nitya Harathi at the Pushkar Ghat. The civic body organised cultural programmes at the Sri Venkateswara Anam Kala Kendram and devotional film shows at Kotilingala Ghat. These programmes commence daily at 7 PM.
Mayor Pantham Rajani Sesha Sai, nodal officer Vijaya Rama Raju and urban Superintendent of Police B Raja Kumari have inspected the ghats and enquired with the pilgrims about the facilities.