VIJAYAWADA: As many as 75,000 pilgrims visited the replica temples erected at Pavitra Sangamam Ghat near Ibrahimpatnam here on Sunday.
Scores of devotees, after taking a holy dip in river Krishna at the bathing ghats, had been making a beeline at the replica temples from day one of Krishna Pushkarams.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) arranged the replicas of the temples of Srisailam, Kadiri, Kanipakam, Vijayawada, Sri Kurmam, Bikkavolu, Chilakalapudi and Ramatheertham and deputed its priests to perform daily rituals.
Meanwhile, the replica of Lord Venkateswara Swamy at Tirumala was set up at Swaraj Maidan on Mahatma Gandhi Road. As the replicas were arranged quite close to the bathing ghats, thousands of pilgrims were thronging them every day.
According to a rough estimate, the average pilgrim turnout had been about 50,000 a day. ‘Prasadam’ was being distributed among the pilgrims by voluntary organisations in the morning and evening hours.
In addition, the respective devasthanams were distributing ‘pulihora’ or ‘pongal’ for the visitors. Though the turnout was on the rise, there was a remarkable drop in the performance of ‘Pinda Pradanam’ ritual during the day. Many pilgrims had a harrowing time due to insufficient tents for performing ‘Pinda Pradanam’ near the ghat.
The pilgrims’ rush remained high on the weekend.