Staff obstructing pinda offering at river point, say pilgrims

Vijayawada: The pilgrims visiting the Krishna river for a holy dip and Pinda Pradanam are having a tough time with the staff on duty.

Though ‘dip’ and ‘Pinda Pradanam’ are the prime obligations of the pilgrims at the Pushkaralu, the staff here are preventing them from offering Pindas in the river water.

It is believed that offering ‘Pindas’ in the river for the forefathers, taking a dip after that and having darshan of the deity are the core rituals. But not allowing the pilgrims to offer ‘Pinda’ in river defeats the very purpose of attending Pushkaralu.

In the name of cleanliness and sanitation, the personnel on duty at the bathing ghats are not allowing the pilgrims to offer ‘Pinda’ in the river water after the rituals.

They are asking the pilgrims to drop the ‘Pinda’ in the dustbin after the rituals. Ironically, they are also asking the priests to ensure that the ‘Pinda’ is dropped in the dustbin failing which they would get their passes cancelled.

“We have come here (Krishnaveni Ghat) to perform Pinda Pradanam to my mother. We have performed the rituals but were not allowed to offer ‘Pinda’ in the river,” said A Bhumaiah of Srikakulam district.

Another pilgrim, Krishnaiah of Tiruvuru town of Krihana district, expressed similar views. “Does not the government know how to perform Pinda Pradanam traditionally? Does it not know why people visit the river for Pushkaralu,” he asked.

The priests at ghats are also feeling a bit unhappy with the attitude of the officials. “The ritual is not complete if the ‘Pinda’ is not left in the river after which the pilgrims take a holy dip.

If the officials are concerned about the cleanliness, the sanitation workers can collect the ‘Pinda’ from the water,” a priest who was spotted arguing with the staff said.

The officials who have made arrangements for the Pinda Pradanam and the rituals to be performed at the ghat have forgotten to provide shelter. The priests and the pilgrims perform the rituals braving the heat at every ghat.

The situation is same in most of the ghats. With people protesting and the priests too complaining, the workers are allowing Pinda to be offered to the river in some ghats, while it is not allowed in most of the ghats.