Hyderabad: Chilkur Balaji chief priest CS Rangarajan on Tuesday initiated celebrations of Bhishma Ekadashi with Sanatana Sampradaya Gangaputra – fishermen community – on a large scale in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. During this, people of the Sanatana sect Gangaputra-fishermen community were also present.

At Tilaknagar in the city, Ganga Gourishwara Bhajana Sangham, Gangaputra Chaitanya Samithi, and other organizations participated in huge numbers. The community elders expressed happiness at the initiative and participated in the festivities.

The greatness of Bhishma Pitamah

Speaking with the community elders and members, Rangarajan, who is also the convener of the Temples Protection Movement enunciated the greatness of Bhishma Pitamah and called the elders not to allow the discontinuity and disconnect with Sanatana Dharma.

Bhishma Ekadashi organized

Bhishma was Gangaputra and traditional fishermen were all Gangaputras. In the Mahabharata, Bhishma also known as Bhishma Pitamah and Gangaputra Bhishma were well known for their pledge of celibacy. In Andhra Pradesh, organizations like Matsyakara Samskema Samithi, Gangaputra Sanghams had village-level celebrations for the beginning on a small scale.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad City Gangaputra Sangham, Nagara Yuvajana Gangaputra Sangham jointly organized Bhishma Ekadashi celebrations at City Gangaputra Sangham community hall, Afzalgunj.

Gudaboina Shiva Ratnam, president, Hyderabad City Gangaputra Sangham said devotees of Lord Vishnu believe that listening to the Vishnu Sahastranama Stotram on Bhishma Ekadashi leads to Moksha, and devotees keep fasting on the day. Sharanarthi Chandra Prakash, president, Nagara Yuvajana Gangaputra Sangham, said children should follow the dharma path of Bhishma and follow his ideologies.

Essay writing competition for children was held on the occasion and prizes were given away to winners, a press release said.