Hyderabad: The Congress govt will organise the Godavari Pushkaram on the lines of Kumbh Mela, with all necessary arrangements reflecting the cultural identity of Telangana. At the first meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on ‘Godavari Pushkaram–2027′, held at the secretariat on Tuesday, officials were directed to undertake permanent infrastructure works that showcase the ‘Telangana Brand’ and the state’s traditions.The meeting was chaired by IT and industries minister D Sridhar Babu and attended by ministers Konda Surekha, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Dasari Anasuya alias Seethakka, and Adluri Laxman Kumar, along with govt adviser Sudarshan Reddy and senior officials.The committee reviewed the schedule for the Pushkarams, departmental preparedness, and the roadmap for future works. According to vedic scholars, the ‘Adi Pushkaram’ will be held from June 26 to July 7, 2027, while the ‘Antya Pushkaram’ will take place from July 13 to July 24, 2028, officials informed the meeting.Sridhar said chief minister A Revanth Reddy-led Congress govt had successfully conducted the ‘Saraswati Pushkaram’ and the Sammakka–Saralamma Jatara, and exuded confidence that the Godavari Pushkaram would be organised on an even greater scale and with greater efficiency.The meeting discussed that around eight crore devotees are expected to participate in the Pushkaram. Accordingly, 96 locations along the Godavari river across several districts have been identified, linking important temples along the river. Keeping in view the experiences from previous Pushkarams, the govt is preparing separate state and district-level plans to improve ghats, roads, and other infrastructure facilities based on local conditions.Officials said DPRs will be completed by the end of this month. In the first phase, nine high-footfall locations have been identified as ‘Tier-1′ areas, where work will be taken up on a war footing. To ensure better coordination, the govt will appoint a special officer for the Pushkarams, along with department-wise nodal officers. Special focus will be placed on traffic management at ghats, emergency access routes, advanced medical facilities, and parking arrangements, officials said.
