In news– The 12-day Pushkaralu festival of Telugu-speaking people commenced on April 22 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
About the festival-
- The festival, in which pilgrims will worship their ancestors and the river Ganga, is being organized in Kashi this year after a gap of 12 years due to a special combination of planetary transits.
- According to astrology, every river is associated with a zodiac sign and the festival of Pushkaralu starts when Jupiter moves from one zodiac to another.
- According to the Hindu Mythology, it is believed that Pushkar is a sage who knows Jal Tatva Siddhi and who is known to be the Teerthapalaka (the ruler of holy water).
- 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.
- The first 12 days when Jupiter enters the zodiac sign of a particular river is known as Aadi Pushkaralu and the last 12 days when Jupiter exits from a zodiac sign is considered as Antya Pushkaralu.
- Pushkaralu is considered to be one of the most sacred periods when devotees visit different holy rivers to take a holy dip.
- It is believed that devotees who take a holy dip in Ganga river and other sacred rivers, get free from the sins committed in the past and get salvation.
Source: times of India
