Pilgrims to be deprived of 'punya'

RAJAHMUNDRY: The elaborate arrangements being made by about 17 departments for the forthcoming Godavari Pushkarams is reportedly robbing 3.35 crore pilgrims of ‘punya’.
According to the district administration and people’s representatives, the entire Godavari bund along the city would be beautified at an estimated cost of Rs 2.5 crore.
The public health department and the Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation (RMC) have been directed to ensure that the Godavari bund from Katheru to Dowleswaram as well as all other ghats are kept clean.The police department too as per its action plan is barricading all pushkaram ghats.
But sources now say that all these arrangements deprive pilgrims from fetching a fistful of Godavari earth all along the Godavari bund or at the pushkaram ghats.
According to the tradition, pilgrims should throw a fistful of Godavari earth from the bund into the river during the Pushkarams before taking a holy dip.
According to the legends, Krithya, a demon, believed to have been born out of the flames that emanated from the ‘third eye’ of Lord Shiva was put on guard wherever the pushkarams were in progress.
The lone duty of this demon, it is believed, was to have all the ‘punya’ or goodness of the pilgrims who fail to throw a fistful of the earth into the river.
It would be impossible for the pilgrims to collect earth and throw it into the river before taking a holy dip as all the ghats are being barricaded and cemented. It would be a daunting task for the government to provide Godavari earth at the ghats as nearly 3.5 crore pilgrims are expected to take a dip during the pushkarams.