The Hindu Business Line : Krishna Pushkaram begins today

KRISHNA Pushkaram, celebrated once in 12 years, begins here on Saturday. The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, will inaugurate it, as rituals require, by sprinkling a few drops of water on himself.

Vijayawada, the main centre, is expected to draw roughly three crore pilgrims and tourists during the 12-day festival. The Railways is running 360 puskhar special trains, and the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation is also geared up to cope with the pilgrim rush.

Unlike his predecessor, Mr Chandrababu Naidu, who went all out to promote Godavari Pushkaram last year, Dr Rajasekhara Reddy has kept Krishna Pushkaram a low-key affair. The Government has scaled down the expenditure to Rs 200 crore - Rs 225 crore. The money has been spent on road works, construction of bathing ghats and temple renovation along the banks of Krishna all over the State.

Three major projects have been taken up in Vijayawada as part of the pushkaram works. Three platforms have been constructed in the busy railway station, and a flyover has been built connecting the commercial old town of Vijayawada with the new town.

The Bhavani Island, in the middle of Krishna, has been developed at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore by the AP Tourism Development Corporation. The corporation has built 24 cottages, a restaurant and a conference hall for the pilgrims and tourists. A double-decker air-conditioned cruise boat, Bodhisri, has been pressed into service to ferry the pilgrims on the Krishna waters.

The Chief Minister will inaugurate the new flyover and the Bhavani Island resort on Saturday.

The district administration has arranged a pushkaram exhibition in the centrally located Swaraj Maidan. The century old Victoria Museum has been given a facelift. A footbridge has been laid to for easyaccess to the famous temple of Kanaka Durga, the presiding deity, atop Indrakeeladri.

TDP leader shot at: Meanwhile, an incident on Thursday, cast a shadow over the pushkaram proceedings here. A local Telugu Desam leader, Mr Katragadda Babu, was shot at on Thursday. Three assailants opened fire at him at close range. He was operated upon at a local hospital, and two bullets were removed from his body. According to the doctors, Mr Babu is out of danger.

More than 8,000 policemen have been deployed for the pushkaram. They are on the lookout for the assailants who, according to the police, have been identified and will soon be apprehended.

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Krishna Pushkaram begins today