A special workshop jointly organised by Namami Gange, Arth Gange, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and Parmarth Niketan

“Let Ganga Aarti become not only a sacred tradition, but also a powerful medium for public awareness.”

In the divine vibrations of Vedic chanting and a spiritually charged atmosphere, the 13th Ganga Aarti Awareness Workshop was inaugurated with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp in the holy presence of Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, President of Parmarth Niketan, and Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji.

The dignified gathering brought together priests from five states across India, officials of the Namami Gange mission, and numerous representatives dedicated to the conservation of Mother Ganga. Priests from Harahi Pokhar Ghat, Hazarinath Temple Ghat, Kshama Temple Ghat, Konhara Ghat, Rasalpur Ghat, Sultanpur Ghat, Shivkar Ghat, Dakshin Ghat, the Bihu River, Pipra Ghat, the Kamala River, Jivchh Ghat, Manihari, Kadagola Ghat, Daroli Ghat, Simaria Ghat, and Devkund Temple Ghat participated in the three-day workshop.

HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji shared that India’s rivers are not merely water bodies—they are life-giving streams. Mother Ganga is the foundation of our faith, culture, civilisation, and spiritual consciousness. If we offer prayers to Her while simultaneously polluting Her waters with plastic, garbage, and ritual waste, it cannot be called true devotion. He reminded everyone that “Dirt and devotion cannot go together. Worship and pollution cannot coexist.”

He urged priests to use every Ganga Aarti as an opportunity to inspire people towards cleanliness, environmental protection, and the collective responsibility of keeping Maa Ganga clean and pristine. Even a two-minute message during every Aarti, he said, can create extraordinary transformation.

Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati ji said that “Mother Ganga is not merely a river; She is the soul of India.” Protecting Her purity is our national responsibility. By protecting Mother Ganga, we protect our future, our culture, and our very existence.

Let us all take a collective pledge through this workshop:

• Offer only devotion—not garbage—to Mother Ganga.
• May every priest become a messenger of awareness, and every devotee a guardian of Mother Ganga.