Cauvery Aarti proposed in Karnataka on the lines of Ganga Aarti in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, says D.K. Shivakumar
The Hindu
A team from Varanasi will be invited to Karnataka to assist local officials in organising the Cauvery Aarthi, including identifying the exact spot for the event.
The Congress government in Karnataka is gearing up to organise Cauvery Aarti on the lines of Ganga Aarti, a religious ceremony performed on the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced the plan of the State Government to organise Cauvery Aarti on the banks of river Cauvery, which is the lifeline of the people in many parts of southern Karnataka, after a visit to KRS reservoir in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district on July 22.
Mr. Shivakumar, who holds the Major Irrigation portfolio, plans to constitute a team of legislators from the Cauvery belt in Mandya, Mysuru and Kodagu districts, under the leadership of Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy, to visit Varanasi, watch the Ganga Aarti and submit a report to the State Government in the next 30 days.
The team will include officials from the Department of Religious Endowment and Irrigation. A team from Varanasi will be invited to Karnataka to assist local officials in organising the Cauvery Aarti, including identifying the exact spot for the event.
The proposed Cauvery Aarti will not only provide a boost to tourism, but also attract the devout in view of the sanctity people attach to river Cauvery.
With the water level in the KRS reservoir reaching the brim and the Irrigation Department opening its crest gates, Mr. Shivakumar said instructions had been issued to officials to clear channels connected to lakes in the Cauvery command area, and ensure that water bodies are filled up. The Cauvery command area has 1,657 lakes.
Unlike 2023 when farmers in Karnataka faced difficulties due to drought, most parts of the State have reported a good monsoon this year.