Dampener on Day One in Guntur district

GUNTUR: Day One of pushkarams in Guntur district left both pilgrims and the government disappointed. While pilgrims were upset with poor water levels and inadequate facilities at various bathing ghats, the authorities were disappointed with the poor turnout.

Officials pointed out that preference to celebrate Varalakshmi vratham over pushkarams was the main reason for the low turnout on Friday. Many families stayed indoors to offer prayers to goddess Lakshmi on the auspicious Sravana Sukravaram (Friday), leaving a majority of the ghats, including the ones close to Amaravati temple, scarcely occupied.

Officials of Amaralingeswara Swamy temple were aghast to see a poor turnout on Friday, which regularly attracts at least 10,000 people. The turnout at temple till afternoon was only around 3,000. The queue lines were completely empty due to low crowd.

Some said the tragic incident of Godavari Pushkarams on the first day too might have played on the minds of the pilgrims in not going for the holy dip on Day One.

Meanwhile, the water levels at Amaravati ghats left pilgrims fuming. Water did not touch even knee level making it difficult to take the holy bath. On the other hand, the irrigation officials claimed that they were releasing sufficient water from Pulichintala project to manage the pilgrims' needs.

"Water level is too poor to have the holy dip. The government should take immediate steps to increase inflows," demanded Mallikharjuna Murthy, a pilgrim. Sources said that officials were instructed to maintain just around 3 to 4 feet of water to avoid any untoward incidents.

In fact, the situation at downstream river ghats in Duggirala, Tenali and Repalle areas was worse as pilgrims were made to take bath via showers. Mangalagiri legislator Alla Ramakrishna Reddy of YSRCP himself had a shower bath at one of the ghats near Duggirala.

The transport arrangements made by the district administration further complicated the travails of the pilgrims. The district administration, which lined up school buses at pushkar nagar near Amaravati to transport people to ghat locations, is said to have not released funds to meet the fuel costs prompting the drivers not to take out the vehicles. Pilgrims managed somehow by hopping on to ASPRTC buses.

Interestingly, the state government claimed that more than 50,000 pilgrims had taken the bath in Seethanagaram ghat by afternoon!