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42.17 lakh pilgrims take dip at Kumbh
Over 42.17 lakh pilgrims, including VHP president Ashok Singhal, on Thursday took a holy dip in river Godavari during the Pushkaram.
Over 42.17 lakh pilgrims, including VHP president Ashok Singhal, on Thursday took a holy dip in river Godavari during the Pushkaram revered as "Kumbh Mela of South", official sources said in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Over 3.76 crore pilgrims, had taken holy dip in various Pushkar ghats spread in seven districts during last nine-days of the Godavari Pushkaram.
Singhal took dip at Rajahmundry, the main centre of Pushkaram.
The highest number of 1.52 crore pilgrims took holy dip in East Godavari district followed by 90.9 lakh in West Godavari, 62.15 lakh in Karimnagar, 21.51 lakh in Adilabad, 24.43 lakh in Nizamabad, 21.45 lakh in Khammam and 46,872 pilgrims in Warangal district, sources said.
The figure has already crossed the expected mark of 3.5 crore making it all time high, even as there are three more days to go.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is himself monitoring the situation by conducting tele-conferences with district collectors and directing them to correct lapses if any to avoid hardships to pilgrims.
Naidu has instructed irrigation officials to closely monitor the water levels in Godavari due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Director Medical and health department said after the beginning of Pushkaram that over 2.13 lakh pilgrims were provided medical assistance in the health camps.
