AMARAVATI/KURNOOL: The Tungabhadra Pushkaralu 2020 Muhurtham will commence on Friday 20th at 1.21 PM this month. According to the Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department officials, the timings have been sent to the State Government for official approval. The Pushkaralu Muhurtham time was recently confirmed by the Panchangakartas at the Divya Sammelan conducted under the auspices of the Archaka Training Academy in Visakhapatnam.

The Tungabhadra River Pushkaralu will last for 12 days from the 20th of this month to the 1st of December. The previous Tungabhadra Pushkaralu was held in the year 2008.

Arrangements

23 Pushkara Ghats have been specially set up in Kurnool district for the event.

Pushkar ghats have been set up in Mantralayam, Naguladinne in Nandavaram mandal, Gundrevula in Kodumur mandal, Sunkesusla and Panchalingala in Kurnool mandal, Kurnool, Nandikotkur rural, and Sangameswaram in Kothapalli mandal.

Pilgrims would be allowed only by e-ticket system.

No pilgrim will be allowed for holy dip at the ghats. In the wake of COVID-19 situation, devotees will take shower baths instead of river baths as per the Central Government's directives. Authorities have installed a row of showers at the ghats for the pilgrims.

The Endowments Department has identified 443 priests selected to conduct various poojas for deities and other rituals on the occasion of Pushkaralu.The rates for the poojas will be fixed by the Department of Revenue and the details will be displayed at the sheds allotted for them.

A Yagnasala has been set up at Sankalbagh in Kurnool to perform Yagnas during the 12-day event.

Special teams were formed with more than 300 Endowments staff from Anantapur and Kurnool districts. They have been specially recruited to ensure smooth conduct near Pushkara Ghats and monitor the arrangements and facilities during the Pushkaralu. Endowments Department Special Commissioner Arjuna Rao held a video conference with the officials of the respective districts about the way forward and made various suggestions.

Special tents, dressing rooms, toilets and bathrooms have been set up for pilgrims to ensure cleanliness and sanitation.

The district administration has also set up temporary hospitals and sheds, traffic controlling lines, swimmers, bus services, cultural events, water and food distribution counters and a central control room.

More than 4,000 police personnel have been deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.

Kurnool District Collector G Veerapandian, Superintendent of Police K Fakeerappa and Kurnool Municipal Corporation Chief DK Balaji among others officials are regularly monitoring the arrangements for the past few days.

Lakhs of pilgrims from across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Maharashtra are expected to take a holy dip in River Tungabhadra during this 12-day event.

AP CM YS Jagan to participate in Tungabhadra Pushkaralu on 20th

AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will take part in the inaugural rituals in the Tungabhadra Pushkaralu at Sankalbagh Pushkara Ghat in Kurnool district on November 20th. The CM's Additional PS K Nageshwar Reddy circulated his itinerary to the district officials.