Hyderabad: Unofficial websites in connection with Krishna Pushkarams, offering online services like special pujas and rituals for devotees across the globe, have been mushrooming on the Internet.
Officials are alerting devotees to be cautious before approaching such unofficial sites especially regarding online transactions using unsecured payment gateways.
Nearly a dozen websites have been active online offering special pujas during Krishna Pushkarams scheduled from July to August 2016. The websites are targeting NRIs. Special pujas and rituals on them cost between Rs 116 and Rs 10,000. Several websites cheated devotees and NRIs last year during Godavari Pushkarams charging fees without performing any special pujas.
As per puranas, Ganga puja, Gouri Puja, Mahasankalpam, Laghusankalpam, Sariganga Snanam, Prayaschittam, Vayana puja and Pindapradanam can be performed on the banks of the river which will have Push-karams. In most cases, the devotee must be present at the river’s banks while performing puja.
In the absence of devotee, Ganga puja, Gouri puja, Vayana puja and Pindapradanam can be performed based on details provided by the devotee like gotranamas.
During Godavari Pushkarams, nearly 50 unofficial websites were hosted with payment gateways and only 20 per cent were proved genuine.
Freelance web developer R. Shyam Kumar said, “Registering a website and hosting may cost between Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,000. Payment gateway (sharing) may cost about Rs 1,000 per month more. Most of the fake sites are adopting Paypal as payment gateway. Some genuine websites will provide the footage of certain pujas and rituals.”
Telangana Information Technology, Principal Secretary, Jayesh Ranjan asked devotees not to fall into the trap of fake and phishing websites.
“The government will launch a user-friendly website for Krishna Pushkarams soon and it will offer all services online. Devotees can book all online facilities including accommodation, transport details, key contacts, details of rush at ghats and others through the website,” he said.
