Aims to send message to save the river from pollution
Priests give Pournami harathi to river Godavari in Rajahmundry. (Photo:DC)
Rajahmundry: Performing ‘Harathi’ for the Godavari river is popular in both East and West Godavari districts. Many spiritual organisations as well as the state government has come forward to perform ‘Harathi’ to Godavari on the lines of the aarti performed daily for the Ganga river.
For the first time, the Sri Budhavarapu Charitable Trust (SBCT) started ‘Harathi’ (lighted camphor placed on a piece of banana leaf and moved thrice to the Godavari river, amidst chanting of Vedic mantras by pundits and dropped in the river for 58 months ago at Rajahmundry on full moon night every month.
The Hindu Dharma Raksha Vedika (HDRK) sta-rted ‘Harathi’ for Godav-ari since Ugadi festival on every full moon night in 29 ghats of West Godavari district. The Endowments Depa-rtment will commence ‘Nitya Harathi’ (daily ‘aarti’); to Godavari river from July 1. This ‘harathi’ will be inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Sree Peetham Seer of Kakinada Swamy Paripoornananda Saraswathi will commence ‘Sandhya Harathi’ on July 1 by 6 pm at Valandhara Revu, known as ‘Vashistha Ghat’at Narasapuram. It will commence in 29 ghats at the same time by various eminent persons, said the HDRK district president Thoram Sury-anarayana. Members of HDRK are carrying out a campaign about the sanctity of river Godavari during the Pushkaralu and the merits of the ritual.
Many spiritual organisations are going to the interiors of the villages to spread its significance. Srikrishna Chaitanya Sangham members have already taken Godavari waters to Tirupati for spreading the message to the pilgrims at Tirumala Hills. They also campaigned about the Pushkarams around the state.
Performing ‘harathi’ for Godavari river is a mark of respect of river and it sends a message to save Godavari and its sanctity from pollution said Suryanarayana, he said members of the ‘Vedika’ are distributing books and pamphlets regarding Pushkaralu and its significance to the people of the villages.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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