Jan
24
2013
In the service of God and humanity
In the service of God and humanity
The Ganga Sansad (Ganga Parliament), which ran from the 21st to the 23rd, gathered in the evening at the Ganga Action Parivar camp in the Kumbh Mela, Allahabad. Participants in the Sansad included Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, retired General Shri V.K. Singhji, Jal Purush ("Water Man") Shri Rajendra Singh, Pujya Swami Harichetanandji, and Shri D.N.S. Subbaraoji among other esteemed guests....
Pujya Swamiji explains that Mother Ganga belongs to all so we must all come to together to preserve and restore Her. He explains that whether we are in the village or city, we can all take a pledge to serve Mother Ganga. In the villages we can stand together to prevent pollution of our local water bodies. In the cities we can create and preserve mixed forests in our local parks. Doing so will help us preserve our environment as well as our personal and public health. He reminds us...
Last week, the temples of the four holy pilgrimage sites of the Himalayas opened. Pujya Swamiji traveled to Gangotri (Source of Mother Ganga) & Kedarnath for the openings. In Gangotri, Pujya Swamiji led a special program for Sparsh Ganga, the huge clean Ganga and Gangotri program which Pujya Swamiji initiated and is leading with support & cooperation of the Uttarakhand Government. Pujya Swamiji, Shri L.K. Advani (former Deputy Prime Minister of India), Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand), Major General Shri B.C. Khanduri (former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand)...
A Sparsh Ganga program was held at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, led by H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati, to inaugurate the “Ganga Sparsh Campaign.” H.H. the Dalai Lama graced the function with his presence and blessings, and he gave a powerful speech about the effects of global warming and the need to take care of the environment. Shri L.K. Advani (former Deputy Prime Minister of India), Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand), Major General Shri B.C. Khanduri (former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand) attended and released a book written by...
Each evening as the sun’s last rays reflect off the boundless waters of Mother Ganga, we gather for Ganga Aarti. This divine light ceremony is filled with song, prayer, ritual and a palpable sense of the divine. The “aarti” – an ornate oil lamp, lined with dozens of flames burning in pure ghee – is offered to God. The essence of the aarti ceremony is that all day long God offers us light – the light of the sun, the light of life, the light of His (Her) blessings. Aarti...