Andhra: 10 crore devotees expected at Godavari Pushkaram next year

Amaravati, Aug 25 (IANS) An estimated 8 to 10 crore devotees are expected to attend the Godavari Pushkaram in Andhra Pradesh in 2027, officials said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to make arrangements to conduct the event on a grand scale and ensure devotees face no inconvenience. Pushkaram is scheduled to begin on June 26.

Reviewing the progress of works at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister was informed that preparations worth Rs 4,026 crore are underway. Around 4.86 crore devotees had taken a holy dip during the 2015 Maha Pushkaram, while nearly one crore devotees are expected to take dips each day in 2027.

Officials said they will deploy advanced technologies for safety and crowd management, including AI‑based crowd analytics, CCTV monitoring, drone surveillance, QR‑based vehicle identification and decentralised deployment systems.

With only 10 months remaining, Naidu directed officials to expedite works. The Finance Department has already allocated Rs 899 crore. The Municipal Administration, Roads & Buildings, Water Resources, Energy and Panchayat Raj departments are undertaking major works.

Works worth Rs 1,869 crore will be taken up in East Godavari district, Rs 625 crore in West Godavari, Rs 1,501 crore in Konaseema, Rs 426 crore in Eluru, Rs 321 crore in Kakinada and Rs 190 crore in Polavaram district.

To manage crowds, arrangements are being made for 440 ghats – 259 existing ghats will be developed and 181 new ones constructed. These include 82 in East Godavari, 40 in West Godavari, 175 in Konaseema, 44 in Eluru, 88 in Kakinada and 11 in Polavaram.

Naidu said the Godavari region is home to several important pilgrimage centres and directed officials to develop a tourism circuit connecting temples such as the Shakti Peetham at Pithapuram, four Pancharama temples, Dwaraka Tirumala, Annavaram, Vadapalli and Antarvedi. He suggested promoting homestays and providing speedy approvals for hotel projects.

The Chief Minister also directed the construction of a convention centre in Rajamahendravaram to host programmes and asked officials to invite prominent personalities from across the country and abroad to the Pushkaram.

–IANS

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