Over 3 lakh take holy dip in Guntur district

Amaravati: Over 3 lakh pilgrims including 1.3 lakh women and girls took a holy dip at various ghats on the second day of Krishna Pushkarams on Saturday. Around 16,807 persons performed pinda pradhanam. Pilgrim rush has increased at Amaravati, Tallayapalem, Penumudi, Daida, Satrasala and Krishnaveni ghats in the district with second Saturday being a holiday followed by Sunday.

Krishna Pushkarams Special Officer B Rajashekhar visited Seethanagaram ghat today and inspected the facilities at the ghat. He said all arrangements would be in place to tackle the heavy rush of pilgrims expected on Sunday and Monday.

Devotees after the holy dip are performing puja at the Anjaneya Swamy temple and Sivalayam at Seethanagaram.
The district administration allowed RTC buses up to Seethanagaram ghat for the convenience of the pilgrims.

The NSS volunteers, NCC Cadets are helping elders and octogenarians in reaching the river and taking the holy dip. They officials have also provided wheel-chairs. Free buses were operated to shift the pilgrims from Pushkar Nagar to Seethangaram ghat.

Officials allowed the pilgrims on Saturday to traverse by foot from Krishna Barrage to Goddess Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada. Free buses were operated from Seethangaram ghat to Kanakadurga temple.

Rama Krishna Mission, Chinna Jeeyar Swamy Ashram and ISKCON are offering free food to the pilgrims. The district medical and health department has set up a health camp at Seethanagaram ghat. Guntur Urban SP Sarva Sreshta Tripathi is camping at Seethanagaram and overseeing the arrangements.

Guntur MP Galla Jayadev visited Seethangaram ghat on Saturday and interacted with the pilgrims. He assured them that the administration would solve any problems faced by them.The MP said that there would be no shortage of water at the bathing ghats as the Irrigation department has released water to the river.