Pushkaralu festival

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.