Beloved Actress Deepika Padukone joined Pujya Swamiji and Sadhvi Bhagawatiji with her mother and friends for divine Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh). She was welcomed and blessed by Pujya Swamiji in silence on the divine occasion of Navratri.
Sadhvi Bhagawatiji shared with her the work being done by the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance and the Ganga Action Parivar and invited her to join them in a symbolic water blessing ceremony in which the sacred waters of the River Ganga are offered over a globe, as a symbol and a pledge for people all over the world to have access to clean drinking water, adequate sanitation and hygiene.
Thereafter, they then proceeded for the sacred havan and Ganga Aarti ceremony on the banks of Mother Ganga on the Parmarth Ganga Ghat. During the Aarti, Sadhvi Bhagawatiji led a beautiful sankalp and pledge to inspire pilgrims to commit themselves to protecting and preserving Mother Ganga, Mother Nature and the divine feminine in all its forms, especially on the auspicious occasion of Navratri. Deepikaji joined everyone in raising her hands and supporting the noble pledge.
Sadhvi Bhagawatiji emphasised the importance of protecting our sacred rivers, especially the National River Ganga, and lauded the recent orders by Uttarakhand High Court, Justice Alok Singhji and Justice Rajiv Sharmaji, declaring the Ganga and Yamuna River, as well as natural entities like the Gangotri Glacier, a human entity, whereby harming them would be seen in the same way as harming a human being and hence be declared a punishable crime. She called for everyone to commit to ensuring that our actions and our lifestyles are not polluting and over-exploiting our sacred natural resources. She shared that the true yoga and meditation was when we live in a way that is mindful of reducing our carbon and water footprint in all our actions, words and thoughts.
Deepikaji was also gifted a very sacred and green Rudraksha sapling as a symbol of the clean and green pledge, with Vedic chanting and prayers for her health and happiness. Her mother was also gifted a very special Rudraksha plant for raising such a beautiful shakti, an internationally acclaimed actress and a human being who is truly a great inspiration to many young women around the world. Her friends also were presented with a sacred green sapling.
They departed the ashram thereafter with prasadam and special Vedic birthday wishes, lighting of the birthday lamp, for one of the members of Deepika Padukone’s group whose birthday it happened to also be on the same day.