Prayagraj: The closing ceremony of the Social Media Mahakumbh was held at the Parmarth Niketan Kumbh Camp and led by Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, President of Parmarth Niketan, and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Secretary General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance. More than one hundred social media influencers participated in the Social Media Mahakumbh, spreading the colours and vibrancy of the Kumbh for the world to see and experience through their social media channels.
Pujya Swamiji led all the social media influencers and Parmarth Kumbh Mela participants from over twenty nations, in a Sankalp to use the power of social media for positivity, connection, and pride in the nation. He further led everyone in a pledge to conserve and protect water, inviting everyone on this occasion to pledge to keep the rivers of all the world clean.
Pujya Swamiji said: “Dev Bhakti, love of the Divine, is wonderful and essential. However, we must also focus on daish bhakti, love for the nation. The love and connection become the source for messages that are positive bring people together and reinforce our Oneness. We must stop spreading messages of separation, borders and boundaries and instead spread messages of oneness and togetherness.”
Sadhvi Bhagawatiji told all the social media influencers: “You are so fortunate to have come here all the way to Kumbh for this experience. However, to only watch the Kumbh is not enough to see the real Kumbh. Kumbh is something we must experience within ourselves, to allow the vibration of the sacred snans, the divine energy to flow through us. You as social media influencers have a unique and powerful impact on the mood of the people and the nation. I feel sad when I see so many young people of India thinking that the sole purpose for doing well in school or work is to leave India and go abroad. Use your influencer positions to instill excitement and a love for India in young Indians, stimulating them with a message that the best use of their talents and abilities is in India. Beloved Prime Minister Sri Modiji’s team promotes “Made in India” – let’s instill in Indians a mantra of “made for India” – their education, their effort, their worth is intrinsically tied to the beautiful culture of India and is for India, a beauty that is the aastha darshan of India. The sanskriti of the people and the aashta of the people. People are drawn to India from all over the world for the beauty, the culture, the faith, the spiritual wisdom and insights of India and Her people. We must help all Indians, and especially young Indians, to be full of pride in their culture, a culture that draws so many from abroad to India.”
Wonderful to have hundreds of social media influencers w/ us @ParmarthNiketan #kumbhmela camp & be inspired to share not just information but also inspiration w/ positiivity & pride in the nation, oneness & breaking borders of #caste , #creed discrimination. #SocialMediaSangam pic.twitter.com/fqlTMvzzoP
— Sadhvi Bhagawati (@SadhviBhagawati) February 11, 2019
The event was graced by the Hon’ble Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister, Sri Swatantr Dev ji. On this occasion Shri Swatantr Dev Singh said: “Social media should realize its power and show the real facts to world.” He also added that social media is the best medium for experiencing the Kumbh for those not able to actually come to the spiritual gathering.
The curator of the program, Shantanu Gupta, said that the aura of Kumbh filled the social media veterans with spiritual happiness, reflected in their social media updates. According to Pushkar Sharma, co-curator of the program, social media pundits have shown the beauty of Kumbh to be as beautiful as the world shows the power of social media.
A special biography coffee table book was also released: “Spirituality and Wisdom”, a biography of the divine saint Swami Pragyananandji Maharaj who lived at Parmarth Niketan ashram, Rishikesh. Dineshji was a longtime devotee and the book summarizes the many lessons he learned from Swami Pragyanandji over the years. The book launch was graced by the attendance of the Hon’ble Sri Keshari Nath Tripathi, Governor of West Bengal, and Bhajan Samrat Anup Jalotaji, along with many other dignitaries.