Elaborate arrangements have been made at the newly developed permanent ghats in the Krishna river below the Penumudi bridge near Repalle town for the facility and convenience of the pilgrims arriving for a holy bath for the 2016 Krishna Pushkarams.
With water level not high enough for taking bath behind bathing enclosures there, the devotees were flocking to the north-eastern side ghats that had traditional, sandy approach to the water front.
For the people of nearby villages on either side of the Penumudi-Puligadda bridge, this year was indeed a special one as they were pleased with the newly constructed ghats and the large number of pilgrims coming in. Friends and relatives coming from far-flung areas too to take part in the festivities here.
The pilgrims come as far as Repalle town, Peteru, Bethapudi, Isukapalli, Kuchipudi and Nagaram villages in Guntur district. Some are coming from Avanigadda and Nagayalanka areas to witness the scenic surroundings at the new ghats at Penumudi.
Special parking arrangements were made at these ghats with security personnel stopping the vehicles right at the beginning of the approach road and making the people to park their cars at convenient, designated places.
“We used to face lot of problems in the past because of uncleared bushes and lack of clear approach ways to the waterfront. But now, it is very easy to go near the bathing ghats. Because of this ease in having holy bath, villagers are coming in large crowds to celebrate the occasion,” said K. Venkat of Repalle town.
Vinod, who hails from Bethapudi village nearby, said that they would have been able to use the human enclosures if more water was released in the Krishna. As these are permanent structures, the pilgrims could use them in the coming years.
Vital link
Puligadda is the other end of the bridge located in Krishna district. Ghats are also developed at this end for the pilgrims.
This is the first Pushkaram being celebrated by the local people after the 4-km-long Penumudi-Puligadda bridge was constructed in 2006. It was constructed at a cost of Rs. 71 crore on the national highway 214.
This bridge helped connect clusters of villages and towns located on either side of the river in Guntur and Prakasam districts. People coming for the Pushkaram bath were making it a point to visit the bridge and enjoy the scenic beauty for a while there.
After the construction of this Penumudi-Puligadda bridge, the local economies of Repalle and Avanigadda areas received a fillip what with people cutting across all sections showing interest in making investments in nearby areas. Prior to this bridge, they would have to either travel by boats or go around by road via Vijayawada to reach the other end.
