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Thousands take holy dip in Godavari

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Khammam/Rajahmundry: Tens of thousands thronged the banks of the Godavari in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to take a holy dip on Saturday, the last day of Godavari maha pushkaralu, a de facto Kumbh mela.

People queued up at the ghats along the river as the 12-day event is set to conclude.

Authorities have taken extra measures for the safety of the pilgrims in view of the massive rush on the last day.

The administration is on high alert in Rajahmundry in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh where 27 pilgrims were killed in a stampede on the first day of the festival on July 14.

Policemen, fire fighters and expert divers have been deployed at Pushkar Ghat, where the stampede had occurred and five other ghats in Rajahmundry.

In Telangana, the authorities were on high alert in view of the rise in water level. Additional precautionary measures were taken in temple towns of Bhadrachalam, Dharampuri and Kaleshwaram.

Pilgrims were cautioned against crossing the barricades at the ghats.

Officials claimed that nearly 10 crore people have so far taken the dip.

While 5.12 crore people took a dip in the river in the five districts of Telangana till Friday, this number crossed 4.50 crore in East Godavari and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning.

More than one crore people are expected to participate in the event in the two states on the last day.

The festival will end on Saturday evening with rituals including ‘pushkar jyothi’ and grand ‘arathi’ at various pilgrim centres.

Though pushkaralu take place once in 12 years, this time it is considered very auspicious. Priests say such an event comes once in 144 years.

People from across the country took the holy dip in the Godavari, known as the southern Ganga. Naga Sadhus had ‘shahi snan’ or royal bath in the temple town of Bhadrachalam in Khammam district of Telangana.

While Telangana constructed 106 bathing ghats in five districts, Andhra made elaborate arrangements for the pilgrims at 280 ghats in the two districts.

The chief ministers of the two states had flagged off the festival by taking the dip along with their family members in their respective states on July 14.

In Rajahmundry, the event began on a tragic note as minutes after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu took the dip at Pushkar ghat, a stampede broke out killing two pilgrims.

Shaken by the tragedy, Naidu decided to camp in the town for the entire duration of the festival to monitor the proceedings.

The authorities subsequently improved the crowd management and ensured smooth conduct of the festival.

Telangana Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao also directed his cabinet colleagues and top officials to stay in the towns assigned to them till the last pilgrim takes the dip.

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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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