Date:09/06/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/06/09/stories/2003060903120500.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Kovur getting spruced up for Pushkarams

By Our Staff Reporter

KOVUR (WEST GODAVARI DIST.) JUNE 8. This tiny town on the banks of the river Godavari is getting spruced up for the holy river festival -- Godavari Pushkarams.

The otherwise sleepy town with a population of about 40,000 got into a feverish activity with a large contingent of official machinery putting their heart and soul in grooming the town for the celestial event.

The stage is set for the town to be groomed as a beauty spot with the spade work underway to turn the dingy main roads riddled with traffic chaos and encroachments to the two-way spacious ones, demarcated with dividers and illuminated with the central lighting system.

According to the District Collector, Sanjay Jaju, it is aimed at making it a `mini Rajahmundry'. Mr Jaju, who is closely coordinating with various departments connected to the Pushkara works as part of the endeavour to complete the arrangements by July 14 as per the task given by the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, hoped that the town would emerge as a potential growth centre as an extension to Rajahmundry which is located just 6 km away with the Pushkarams-eve drive. He has revealed that the beautification project was designed with the Rs. 13 crores to be mobilised from different sources.

Larsen and Toubro, the leader in the construction field, has been entrusted with the beautification of the river bank to a stretch of 1.3km on the lines of the Tank Bund in Hyderabad. The statues of `satparshis' will be installed, along with fountains, pathways as part of the project.

Endowed with the sacred Goshpada Kshetram abutting the river and dotted with a cluster of temples around, it got a mythological mention in the history relating to the origin of the river and the Pushkarams as well.

The legendary had it that this place was named as `Govuru' in memory of a holy cow (govu) which was believed to have been killed at the hands of the saint Goutam and in course of time it became `Kovur'. And it was on these sprawling premises of the river bank where the saint Gautam was said to have established his `ashram' and performed penance.

Given the mythological link which it got, Goshpada Kshetram keeps becoming the epicentre of pilgrim rush during all Pushkarams. Most of the devotees get in Rajahmundry on the other side of the river and come here all the way to take a holy dip and perform the rituals with the belief that they will be purged off all the sins by doing so like the saint Gautam who, according to mythologies, led the `Dakshina Ganga' or Godavari which adorned the Lord Shiva through these parts into the sea so that it passed through the carcass of the cow which he killed and made him free of the guilt.

The Kovur Revenue Divisional Officer, Sridhar, has estimated that about one crore pilgrims were expected to take a holy dip at the Goshpada Kshetram point this time at the rate of nine lakh per day on an average. He has said preparations are underway for deployment of adequate number of `purohits' to help pilgrims offer `pinda pradanam' and `tarpanam' in the name of their departed ancestors, keeping in mind the past experiences related to stampede leading to the death of a number of devotees at the ghats due to scarcity of purohits.

In a bid to regulate the pilgrim rush at Pindalarevu and bathing ghats, a `wrist band' system will be introduced on the lines of the one in force at Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala as per which the pilgrims will have the bands tied around their wrists and are given stipulated time for performing rituals and bathing at the ghats, according to the Collector. He hopes the system will help reduce the possible stampede at the ghats.