The first-ever Ganga Aarti was performed on the banks of River Thames, with thousands of people attending it. The ceremony, ‘Ganga Aarti on the Thames: A Ceremony of Light’, was performed by Chinmaya Mission UK in collaboration with the annual Totally Thames festival.
Chinmaya Mission UK’s global header Swami Swaroopananda, who led the aarti, said it was organised to show the “spiritual flow of tradition, culture, knowledge and invoke Mother Ganga” on the banks of Thames in London.
“When we have a common altar of devotion, dedication, we all leave aside our differences and come together to express what lies deep in our heart, and that is the spirit of oneness, spirit of love, spirit of harmony which Guru Dev Swami Chinmayananda, inspired by Mother Ganga, brought as the knowledge from the heights of the Himalayas,” he told news agency PTI.
“(He) dedicated his entire life to spread this knowledge of Vedanta, which teaches us that there is only one indivisible truth in you, in me, in everyone, beyond all differences and all distinctions,” he said.
Chinmaya Mission UK’s Resident Teacher Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya said River Ganga symbolises the flow of knowledge, adding people have gathered on its banks to offer their gratitude for nature that sustains all life. She said the aarti on River Thames brought people “together in a shared moment of gratitude, hope and unity”.
“Our founder, Swami Chinmayananda, dedicated his life to bringing the timeless wisdom of Vedanta – one of the great philosophical traditions of Hinduism – from the Himalayas into people’s everyday lives. As we mark 75 years of Chinmaya Mission, this event is also a celebration of that legacy – of knowledge, service and gratitude flowing beyond boundaries,” she told PTI.
All about Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission is a global movement, founded in 1951, dedicated to inner transformation and spiritual awakening, rooted in the timeless wisdom of Vedanta and inspired by the vision of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda.
Today, the Mission has more than 350 locations worldwide, supporting communities through spiritual education, cultural programmes, academic institutions and service initiatives.
In the UK, Chinmaya Mission UK offers programmes for every stage of life – from children and teenagers to young adults, families and senior citizens.
Totally Thames, organised by a trust, is a festival aimed at celebrating the River Thames through arts events, environmental initiatives, heritage and education programmes since 1997.
The sell-out first-ever Ganga aarti event as part of its programme this year is likely to lead to a more regular feature annually.
(With PTI inputs)
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