Ganga Aarti, Yoga Festival & Retreat in Tenerife, Spain
On 22nd August, Pujya Swamiji was the keynote speaker and spiritual leader for the first Yoga Festival in Tenerife, Spain. Hundreds of people attended, not only to learn the asanas, but also to hear His message on the true meaning of yoga.
Later that day, Pujya Swamiji led a beautiful Ganga Aarti on the banks of the Atlantic Ocean in Tenerife. The event was celebrated as a Festival of Peace, and was graced by the mayor and the consul general, as well as several other local dignitaries. The Spanish people joined hands with the Indian community in celebrating this divine event.
Pujya Swamiji explained that wherever there is purity, devotion and prayer in the heart, there Ganga flows. So, even on the bnaks of the Atlantic Ocean, if everyone prays together and fills their hearts with peace, love and devotion, the blessings of Mother Ganga are there. He shared that when we pray to Mother Ganga, we must also strive to emulate Her ways. Mother Ganga gives and gives and gives with no discrimination (She equally irrigates the farms of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Jains and others), no vacation (She never gets tired and says, “I’m not flowing today”) and no expectation (She does not flow only to those who appreciate Her or perform Her aarti). He said that we must learn to give in that way in our lives as well.
He explained to the Spanish people that Aarti is the Indians’ Happy Hour, which makes us feel high, but with no side effects and no hangover! The high is a real high, a spiritual high, a divine high. He emphasized that there are four things which are very important in life: The Mother, Mother Land, Mother Tongue and Mother Earth. He told the Indians that Spain may be their karma-bhoomi, but India is their janam-bhoomi and they must never forget the Mother Land or mother tongue. It is wonderful that they all speak Spanish, but they must also remember their native Indian languages. Finally, He told everyone that especially today, at a time of envrionmental destruction and devastation, we must be sure to worship and protect Mother Earth.
The aarti is now an annual tradition, and the beach was packed with Indians, Spanish, British and other Europeans praying, chanting, singing with Pujya Swamiji. The grace of Mother Ganga was truly flowing here through the hearts of everyone.
While in Tenerife, Pujya Swamiji led a retreat in the mountain – it was two days filled with prayer, discourse, question-answer, meditation, yoga and divine aarti and kirtan in the evenings. Participants came from Tenerife, other parts of Spain, and even from as far away as northern Europe and the UK.
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