HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday directed officials to start making necessary preparations for the smooth conduct of the Godavari Pushkaralu, scheduled to start on July 23, 2027.
During a review meeting held here, the chief minister instructed the officials to chalk out special plans well in advance to provide all the required facilities to lakhs of devotees who are expected to visit various temples after taking a holy dip in Godavari.
Stating that temple-centric ghats should be constructed at all famous shrines located on the banks of Godavari, he asked the officials to visit all the popular temples, from Basara to Bhadrachalam, along the banks of the river and finalise the list of temples where permanent ghats could be constructed.
“A list of famous temples, including Basara, Kaleshwaram, Dharmapuri and Bhadrachalam, should be prepared and individual project reports should also be readied before starting the works,” he said.
“Each ghat should be developed in such a way that at least two lakh devotees should be able to take a holy dip on any given day,” he added.
The chief minister suggested that temples located near National Highways and state highways should be given priority in developing infrastructure during the Pushkaralu. “Apart from ghats, roads and other infrastructure facilities too should be developed on a permanent basis,” he said.
The officials informed the chief minister that pushkar ghats would be developed at 74 places along the banks of Godavari on a 560-km stretch from the entry point on the Telangana-Maharashtra border.
‘Complete works before start of Pushkaralu’
In response, the chief minister said that works should be taken up on a war footing so as to complete them before the commencement of the Pushkaralu. “The existing ghats should be expanded and other amenities should be provided at the ghats on a permanent basis.
Roads and highways should be developed for free flow of traffic. Parking slots, drinking water facilities, bathing ghats and all the necessary accommodation facilities should be provided for the devotees,” he said.
The chief minister also directed the officials to conduct meetings with temple committees and prepare plans for providing necessary facilities to devotees.
“Consultancies with rich experience in the development of Pushkaralu, temples and facilities required for devotees in various states in the past, along with the Maha Kumbh Mela, should also be appointed to develop facilities for Godavari Pushkaralu,” he said.
Revanth suggested that the Union government-sponsored schemes should be utilised for making arrangements of Pushkaralu.
“Identify the works under the Central schemes, including Swachh Bharat and Jal Jeevan Mission, and obtain necessary permissions to take up those works. A list of these works should be prepared so that a special package can be sought from the Centre, keeping in mind the rush of devotees likely to be witnessed during the Godavari Pushkaralu, which is considered as the ‘South Indian Kumbh Mela’,” he said.
The chief minister also instructed the officials of Tourism, Irrigation and Endowment departments to work in coordination to complete construction of ghats and other works before the start of the Pushkaralu.
Endowments Minister Konda Surekha and others were present at the meeting.