“When Lord Indra sent torrential rains to punish the people of Goverdhan for not worshipping Him,” HH Param Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji shares on this sacred day of Govardhan Puja, “it was Lord Krishna and Mother Nature that protected them. This divine act shows us how God protects all devotees who take singular refuge in him.

“Our mountains, our trees, our animals – all are part of the divine creation. And, just as God protected the people of Goverdhan, we must protect that creation. To honor the natural world for its protection of humanity, we must in turn protect nature. We must realign our priorities to provide the same protection and conservation of nature that it provides us.

“To do this, we must say no to single use plastic and pledge to do our vital part in ensuring a Swachh Rishikesh and a Swachh India.”