Vijayawada, September 18, 2013: The CWC proposal to divide the State appears to have cast its shadow on the annual Ganesh Nimajjanam (immersion) in the Krishna River. Till last year, the banks of the river saw devotees from all over the State converging to celebrate the immersion festivity with devotion and religious fervour. Devotees from Telangana region abutting Krishna District used to celebrate Ganesh Immersion at Krishna River, but this year the flow is sporadic and limited to a few. Many devotees from Khammam, Warangal, Nalgonda, Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medak districts used to bring some hundreds of Ganesh idols of different sizes to Krishna River every year. The Utsav Committee members preferred to stay limited to the nearby streams, anticipating trouble.

Good sentiment

“People from the neighbouring districts in Telangana area used to throng Krishna district for immersion every year as devotees believe that it was a good fortune to perform ‘Nimajjanam’, in Krishna River, which was the abode Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devastanam. Now, we do not see any procession from Telangana districts,” said a devotee T. Prabhakar of Mylavaram in Krishna District.

Apart from Vijayawada, police used to arrange bandobust for the idols coming from Sattupalli, Madhira and Khammam and other places every year.

“Nearly, 500 Ganeshas used to arrive from Telangana districts at Ibrahimpatnam Ferry and Durga Ghat in Vijayawada for ‘Nimajjanam’. Later, the devotees would have a darshan of Goddess Kanakadurga atop Indrekeeladri and perform ‘pujas’. We feel that the devotees are not coming to Andhra area anticipating trouble”, said a police who is on bandobust duty for Ganesh Nimajjanam at Krishna river.

“It is very pathetic, that the bifurcation issue had separated us in this way. Last year, the Utsav Committee members from Khammam and Warangal districts thronged with colourful idols and performed cultural programmes in our village. We exchanged ‘prasadams’ and celebrated the festival together, but this year we have not enjoyed the festivity of Vinayaka Chaturthi in its true integrated sense”, said a Seshamma of G. Konduru village.

Source: The Hindu, September 18, 2013