Throughout the month-long Simhasth Kumbh Mahaparv – 2016: #Ujjain #KumbhaMela, HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Pujya Swamiji), President of Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh), Co-Founder of Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, Founder of Ganga Action Parivar and #KshipraActionParivar, has been garnering support, raising awareness and catalyzing much needed action to rejuvenate and replenish the health and the natural state of the sacred River Kshipra, along whose banks the incredible mela takes place every twelve years.
On Pujya Swamiji’s last day of the Simhastha, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhanji and his wife visited Pujya Swamiji’s camp, which, under Pujya Swamiji’s vision and leadership, has been dedicated to catalyzing a #SwachhtaKranti and towards working to protect the environment.
Some of Pujya Swamiji’s inspired and innovative programmes during the month-long Simhastha Kumbha Mela included: #SarvaDharmaSwachhtaSankalp, #RashtraRaksha Kumbha, #SikshaKranti Kumbha, #Paryavaran Kumbha, #Vanvasi Kumbha, #Divyang Kumbha, #KarmaYogi Kumbha, #PanchaMahabhut programme and #KshipraMahaAarti in which activities like #ChunariMahostav and regular mass Swachhta Sankalp had been led with revered saints, eminent personalities and artists visiting every evening. Along with this, Pujya Swamiji blessed and captivated audiences with His inspiring address during the #VaicharikMahaKumbha International Conference organized by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, in which He spoke on theme of Swachhta aur Sarita and during which He encouraged the Hon’ble Chief Minister to channel his efforts to restore the green cover along the holy banks of the River #Kshipra and #Narmada.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister and his wife added the last ahuti to this month-long #PariyavaranKumbha, in which the concentration and focus had been on activities and events geared towards raising awareness for a #Clean and #GreenKumbha and thereby a Clean and Green India, by visiting the beautiful, eco-friendly and saatvic Parmarth Niketan-Ganga Action Parivar camp. They were honoured and blessed by Pujya Swamiji with an elachi mala, a ‘green’ (eco-friendly) mala for a green leader and led into a green pledge, during the sacred yagna purnahuti, to bring to fruition these plans for a massive plantation and restoration drive of the River Narmada and Kshipra by engaging and involving all the revered saints, schools, students and stakeholders during monsoon and post monsoon season.
Pujya Swamiji shared, “It is due to the great efforts and tremendous dedication of the entire administration, under the able leadership and selfless service of Hon’ble Shri Shivraj Chohanji, that a very successful, divine and green Kumbha has taken place. As the Clean and Green Kumbha comes to a closing, I strongly believe that the real completion of the Kumbha will be when we join together and act together to ensure that our sacred bodies of water are protected and preserved. The time has come that our melas should not only be focused on what we can take from the River but also how we can give back to them. For this, I am so glad to see the beautiful enthusiasm, dedication and commitment of the Hon’ble Chief Minister and his entire administration to ensure that the post Kumbh plans include restoring and rejuvenating a clean, green and free-flowing Kshipra for all. My support and my blessings are always with him in these vital efforts, because the sacred rivers Kshipra and Narmada are the very spirit of Madhya Pradesh and if they dry and if they die then the spirit of MP also dies but if they thrive then the spirit of MP thrives.”