Hyderabad, May 16 -- The 12-day Saraswati Pushkaralu, a Kumbh Mela-like ritual for Saraswati river kick-started at the temple town Kaleshwaram, the abode of Sri Kaleshwara Sri Mukteswara Swamy temple in Telangana's Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, on Thursday.

The once in 12-year mega religious event began at 5.44 am with Ganapathi puja, ankurarpanam, and other holy rituals amid chanting of Vedic hymns by the priests of the historic Sri Kaleshwara Sri Mukteswara Swamy temple.

Madhavananda Saraswati of Sri Gurumadananda Saraswati Peetham performed special rituals marking the start of the event, which is dedicated to worshipping the subterranean Saraswati river, which converges with the Godavari and the Pranahita at the confluence point ...