The Hindu : Elaborate arrangements at Basar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Elaborate arrangements at Basar

By Our Staff Reporter

BASAR JULY 29. The temple town of Basar in Adilabad district has been spruced for the large turnout of pilgrims for the Godavari Pushkaram, starting tomorrow afternoon.

Elaborate arrangements have been made by the Adilabad district administration and the police department to ensure a hassle-free visit for pilgrims. The temple town is expected to witness a heavy turnout since this is the nearest Pushkaram ghat from the State capital of Hyderabad. Basar is among the nine Pushkaram ghats identified by the district administration.

The Gnana Saraswati temple here is also the only temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati in South India. The Minister for Home, T.Devender Goud, will inaugurate the Pushakarams at 12.50 p.m. tomorrow on the banks of the Godavari.

``The temple town is fully geared to meet the heavy rush,'' the Gnana Saraswati Devasthanam Special Officer, T.Prabhakar Rao, told The Hindu on Tuesday afternoon while supervising the last minute arrangements. The beautification drive taken up by the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority has enhanced the temple's beauty. "Works have been taken up on a war footing and completed well ahead of schedule,'' he pointed out. Two bathing ghats of 105 metres each have been constructed by the irrigation department. About 25,000 pilgrims are expected to throng the town every day during the mega event.

Mr. Prabhakar Rao said that a Pushkarnagar is coming up in the town to provide accommodation for about 4,000 pilgrims at one time. The temporary township would have toilets, hotels and resting place for pilgrims. Similarly, temporary shelters are coming up at three other places around the temple to facilitate the pilgrims' smooth visit.

Officials have also made special efforts to construct dressing rooms for women. Sanitation has been given top priority and the authorities have constructed about 50 toilets at each ghat. The sanitation work has been entrusted to private persons. The authorities have laid a separate pipeline to draw water from the Yamcha fluoride project to supply protected drinking water to the pilgrims during the Pushkarams. Roads had been laid right from the bridge on the Nizamabad side to the bathing ghats at a cost of Rs. 2.20 crores.

The authorities held a meeting and fixed the prices for eatables. Private caterers from Hyderabad have been entrusted the task of providing affordable and hygienic food at economical rates. Officials have granted permission to caterers to provide food at different stalls around the temple. The hotels and canteen managements have been warned against enhancing the prices during the rush period.

The four newly opened Devasthanam guesthouses, the R&B guesthouse, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams guesthouse have been readied for the stay of VIPs. The Vyasa library and research building has been converted into a media centre. Doordarshan and Aaj Tak television channels have set up OB vans to telecast the Pushakarams live during the 12 days.

A heavy posse of police personnel have been deployed at the two ghats and in the temple town to oversee security arrangements. Two watchtowers named `Eagle Eye Security' have been erected at the two bathing ghats.

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