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Thousands take dip as Godavari pushkaralu begins

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Khammam/Vijayawada: Thousands of pilgrims took holy dip in Godavari river on Tuesday as Godavari maha pushkaralu, the once in 144-year event, began in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

About eight crore people are expected to participate in the 12-day event, termed as maha kumbh mela of the south, in both the Telugu states.

The event began on a tragic note in Andhra Pradesh as 22 pilgrims were killed and many others injured in a stampede at one of bathing ghats at Rajahmundry in East Godavari district.

Though pushkaralu, dedicated to worshipping rivers, take place once in 12 years, this time it is considered very auspicious from the astrological point of view. Priests say such an event comes once in 144 years.

The chief ministers of the two states along with their family members took the holy dip around 6.20 a.m., the auspicious time, to formally launch the festival.

While Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao took the dip at historic temple town of Dharampuri in Karimnagar district, his Andhra counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu performed the rituals at Rajahmundry.

Both the states have made elaborate arrangements for the peaceful and smooth conduct of the mega event, which is expected to attract pilgrims from different parts of the country.

While Telangana has constructed 106 bathing ghats in five districts, Andhra has made elaborate arrangements for the pilgrims at 280 ghats in East and West Godavari districts.

The authorities in both the states have deployed expert swimmers and kept rescue boats ready to meet any contingency. They have also set up control rooms and to monitor the event

With the river almost drying up at many points along its 600 km long course in Telangana, the state government released water from three irrigation projects. While 4,000 cusecs each was released from Sriramsagar and Kadem projects, 1,000 cusecs was let out from Yellampalli reservoir.

Though Telangana had requested neighbouring Maharashtra to release water upstream, it has not received any positive response.

The water level is very low at temple town of Basar in Adilabad district. Sri Tridandi Srimannarayana Chinna Jeyar Swamy took holy dip at 6.26 a.m. in the temple town of Bhadrachalam in Khammam district of Telangana to formally launch the river festival.

Large number of pilgrims thronged Bhadrachalam, the abode of Lord Sitaramachandra Swamy, located on the banks of the river.

As this is the first pushkaram after formation of separate Telangana state, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government is making all efforts to ensure its grand success. The chief minister said that celebrating maha pushkaram, which comes once in 144 years, in the first year of statehood is a good omen for the state.

Special buses and trains were being operated in both the states to ferry pilgrims. Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) ran 2,270 special buses.

Large number of policemen have been deployed at bathing ghats as part of massive security arrangements. Surveillance cameras were also installed to keep a tab on the movements of suspects.

The police have banned photography and videography at the bathing ghats and appealed to people to respect others’ privacy.

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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