Green Birthday for a Green Guru

Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, President of Parmarth Niketan, Founder of Ganga Action Parivar, Divine Shakti Foundation and Co-Founder of Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, inspires and guides so many all over the world to serve for the welfare of humanity and the environment.

It was His divine message of ‘Giving is Living and Living is Giving’ that has has brought not only the teachings but the divine touch and transformation from the banks of Mother Ganga into people’s everyday lives. He continues to illustrate that by serving to make our environment clean, green and serene we are actually transforming our internal environment to also be clean, green and serene.

The special day begun with a special havan in honour of His green birthday followed by a purnahuti by Pujya Swamiji.

Pujya Swamiji was warmly warmly honoured during the week-long special Shreemad Bhagawad Katha by Shri Rajendra Das Devacharya Ji Maharaj from Vrindavan for truly being the perfect vessel and instrument of the Divine tirelessly bringing the green message to all.

The Parmarth Rishikumars, Parmarth Ashram and Ganga Action family as well as so many from all over the world offered their love and gratitude, through flowers, fruits, trees and plants, as a symbol of the priceless gifts He filled their lives with.

During Ganga Aarti, Pujya Swami Govind Giriji Maharaj shared his profound experience of being with Pujya Swamiji in the United States for 40 days on tour and many occasions thereafter and how deeply moved he still continues to be from the divine example and life that Pujya Swamiji leads. Pujya Swami Mahamandeleshwar Swami Asanganand Saraswatiji blessed Pujya Swamiji for taking the meaning of Parmarth, which literally means for the Welfare of All, and truly transforming it into a universal message of love, peace and serve for all. Pujya Sadhviji shared her immense love and devotion to her Green Guru and offered on behalf of all devotees three divine and sacred trees to Him as a symbol for the evergreen wisdom, grounding and nourishment He brings to them.

Many other revered saints and dignitaries as well as devotees expressed how much He has changed and impacted their lives. As a symbol of His unconditional grace and love everyone joined together to shower Him with flowers. Vedic chants by the Parmarth Rishikumars filled the air as everyone prayed for His long and healthy life so that He may continue to bless and touch so many more.

Pujya Swamiji also offered His simple yet deeply profound message to the gathering. He said it was so beautiful the love and affection that people showered upon Him on this special day. He reminded everyone that the true gift to Him was when we take the green message in their own lives, serving the creation as a symbol of our deep love and affection for the Creator. He humbly said that He did not need so many flowers but that just one flower of people’s love and affection was enough. He also encouraged and inspired everyone to find new and innovative ways to make all birthday’s and festive occasions green, by planting and caring for trees as well as continuing to protect and preserve our environment and all of divine creation.

This year, Pujya Swamiji’s birthday (June 3rd) was in a beautiful green week with World Environment Day (June 5th) and Ganga Dussehra/Gangaji’s Birthday (June 8th). Therefore it was a whole green week filled with celebrations to reaffirm and strengthen our own commitment to making every moment and every minute of our lives, just like His, giving, giving and giving with no discrimination, no vacation, no hesitation and no expectation.

Click here to see photos!