Telangana Plans Kumbh Mela-Style Godavari Pushkaralu: Sridhar Babu

The Telangana government is planning to organise the Godavari Pushkaralu 2027 on a grand scale, with preparations being modelled on the lines of the Kumbh Mela, Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu said on Saturday.

Sridhar Babu directed officials to prepare a coordinated action plan to ensure that all major works related to the Pushkaralu are completed by April 2027. He stressed the need to learn from the problems and challenges faced during previous Pushkaralu and ensure that they are not repeated this time.

The minister made the remarks at a meeting of the Godavari Pushkaralu 2027 Cabinet Sub-Committee held at the Assembly Committee Hall. Ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Seethakka, Ponnam Prabhakar, Vivek Venkataswamy and Adluri Laxman Kumar attended the meeting.

The committee reviewed the progress of preparations, including development works around major temples, construction of bathing ghats, transport arrangements, infrastructure and other facilities for pilgrims.

Sridhar Babu said officials have been assigned district-wise responsibilities to ensure better coordination and avoid gaps in the arrangements. Command and control centres equipped with advanced technology are being planned in high-footfall Tier-1 locations to monitor pilgrim movement and respond quickly to emerging needs.

The minister also said district collectors had been asked to conduct field-level assessments at individual ghats to identify additional requirements and ensure that facilities are planned according to the expected rush of devotees.

He instructed officials to give priority to works that can be completed before the Pushkaralu begin and avoid waiting until the final stages. Every project should have a clear deadline based on ground realities, he said, stressing the need for continuous monitoring.

An integrated dashboard is also being developed to track the progress of various works in real time and enable authorities to identify delays and take corrective measures promptly.

The government’s focus, officials said, is to ensure that infrastructure, crowd management, transportation and pilgrim facilities are ready well before the religious event begins, with coordination between departments and districts at the centre of the preparations.