Asserting that Pushkaram festivals were originally designed to inculcate ideas of river and water conservation in the minds of people, Governor Banwarilal Purohit appealed to the people to take special efforts to prevent the Tamirabharani — the ‘lifeline of the southern districts’ — from getting polluted.
“The water was so clean, clear and cool at the spot where I took bath in the Tamirabharani. The river should be protected from its point of origin to the place where it enters the sea, as it is so powerful in removing sins, that even Maa Ganga takes holy dip here to wash away sins of millions of devotees taking dip there,” Mr. Banwarilal noted, while inaugurating the “Tamirabharani Maha Pushkaram” event organised by the Akhila Bharata Sanyasi Sangam at Papanasam on Thursday.
The Governor said the celebration of Pushkaram covered the country’s holy rivers — from Brahmaputra in eastern India to Sindhu in western India and from Ganges and Yamuna in northern India to Cauvery and Tamirabharani in southern India — with an objective of thanking and worshipping the rivers that were lifelines, culturally uniting the country. The 126-km-long Tamirabharani, which quenches the thirst of people in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar districts and nourishes over 2 lakh hectare of cultivable lands, should be protected from pollution of any kind, he added. “Pushkaram festivals were originally designed to clean the rivers and their banks, to conserve and preserve them for the long life of the people depending on them. Pushkaram is possibly the pioneering concept for ‘Swachch Bharat’ or Clean India Mission. On this day, let us resolve to keep the rivers clean and pass the lineage of our culture intact to the future generations,” Mr. Banwarilal said.
After reaching Tenkasi by train on Thursday, the Governor went to Courtallam, from where he reached Papanasam by road in the forenoon. He was taken to the ‘Kailaaya theertha kattam’, beyond the Papansam Swamy Temple, where he took holy bath in the Tamirabharani, before inaugurating the 12-day event.
The Governor participated in the ‘Maha Aarthi’ at ‘Jadaayu Theertham’ at Arugankulam near here in the evening.