The 12-day Pushkaralu festival of Telugu-speaking people commenced on April 22 in Varanasi.
Key points
- The festival, in which pilgrims worship their ancestors and the river Ganga, is being organised in Kashi this year after a gap of 12 years due to a special combination of planetary transits.
- As per the legend, after severe penance, the devotee Pushkara was blessed by Lord Shiva with the ability to live in water, and purify holy rivers.
- On a request from Bṛhaspati (Jupiter), Pushkara decided to enter one of the 12 sacred rivers — Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Bhima, Tapti, Narmada, Saraswati, Tungbhadra, Sindhu, and Pranhita.
- Each river has its zodiac sign. The river for each year’s festival is decided in accordance with Brihaspati travel from one zodiac sign to another.
