Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is headed to Kaleshwaram on May 15 to kick off the 12-yearly Saraswati Pushkaralu. He’ll be inaugurating the newly built Saraswati Pushkar ghat at the Triveni Sangamam in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district before taking a ceremonial dip himself.
A few Cabinet colleagues will be joining him at the sacred confluence, where the river Saraswati is believed to flow invisibly antarvahini through the junction of Godavari and Pranahita.
The state’s Endowments Department has gone all out. Temporary tent cities for pilgrims, daily rituals, and full-fledged cultural shows every evening are in place. The festival begins at the crack of dawn on May 15, right after spiritual head Madhavananda Saraswati Swamiji of Toguta Ashram performs the inaugural sankalpam and holy bath at 5:44 AM.
Each day between 8:30 and 11 AM, Vedic rituals will be held at the site. There’s also a special Saraswati Navaratna Malaharathi conducted every morning between 6:45 and 7:35 AM.
The trigger? Jupiter (Bruhaspati), planet of wisdom and deity of knowledge, is entering Gemini Mithuna Rasi on May 14 at 10:35 PM. That’s when Pushkaram kicks off astrologically. But the actual baths and public rituals begin at sunrise the next morning, as explained by Kaleshwaram temple priests.
Once Jupiter enters a zodiac sign, it doesn’t return for another 12 years making this a once-in-a-decade spiritual event. Pushkaralu will continue till May 26.