The 'Pushkaralu' festival, a river festival held once every 12 years for each sacred river, is mainly celebrated in which state?

Pushkaralu (also called Pushkaram) is a festival of worship of the sacred rivers of India, celebrated with great enthusiasm in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as well as in other parts of South India. It is held for 12 days at a particular river once every 12 years.

The festival is linked with the movement of the planet Jupiter (Brihaspati) through the 12 signs of the zodiac. Jupiter takes about 12 years to complete one round of the zodiac, staying about one year in each sign. Each of 12 sacred rivers is associated with one zodiac sign, and the Pushkaram of that river is celebrated when Jupiter enters its sign. For example, the Godavari Pushkaram is held when Jupiter enters Leo (Simha), the Krishna Pushkaram when Jupiter enters Virgo (Kanya), and the Kaveri Pushkaram when Jupiter enters Libra (Tula). The 12 rivers include the Ganga, Narmada, Saraswati, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Bhima, Tapti, Tungabhadra, Sindhu and Pranahita.

According to tradition, "Pushkara" is a divine power (or a sacred substance) that resides in the river during the 12 days of the festival, so bathing in the river at this time is believed to wash away sins and bring great merit. During Pushkaralu, lakhs of devotees take a holy dip in the river, perform rituals for their ancestors (pinda pradanam), offer prayers and give charity. Special arrangements, such as new bathing ghats, are made by the state governments.

The Godavari Pushkaralu of 2015, held at Rajahmundry (now Rajamahendravaram) in Andhra Pradesh and at places in Telangana, attracted crores of pilgrims. The Krishna Pushkaralu was held in 2016 at Vijayawada and other places.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kerala celebrates river-related festivals such as the boat races and Karkidaka Vavu Bali.
• ✗Punjab celebrates festivals such as Baisakhi and Lohri.
• ✗Gujarat celebrates festivals such as Navratri and Uttarayan.