Hon’ble Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekawatji, HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji Inspire and Lead a pledge to protect and conserve water during our Month Long Recitation of Shri Ram Katha by Pujya Sant Murlidharji Maharaj
Glad to welcome Hon’ble #JalShakti Cabinet Minister @gssjodhpur & members of @cleanganganmcg home to @ParmarthNiketan on the auspicious occasion of #NirjalaEkadashi, just after #GangaDussehra, at the divine conclusion of Shri #RamKatha – divine union of #Rajasthan & #Rishikesh. pic.twitter.com/ozS4W39JzZ
— Pujya Swamiji (@PujyaSwamiji) June 13, 2019
Rishikesh and Rajasthan Unite for pledge for water and climate action for environmental preservation
Launching and preview of special decentralised Sewage Treatment Plant planned at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Inauguration of Clean Drinking Water Parmarth Pi-Lo Pani Machines, Jal Shakti Exhibition & Special Water Blessing Ceremony
RISHIKESH: Hon’ble Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekawatji joined with National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)- Namami Gange’s Director General Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishraji, Joint Secretary Shri Asok Kumarji, ED Finance Shri Rozy Agarwalji, Technical Director Pravin Prakashji and State Mission for Clean Ganga’a Uday Rajji were warmly welcomed by HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, President of Parmarth Niketan and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji to Parmarth Niketan.
Respected Shekhawatji graciously joined to address masses on the second to the last day of the month long Shri Ram Katha yesterday at Parmarth Niketan being recited by Pujya Sant Murlidharji Maharaj as he urged thousands to conserve water in every possible way and also stressed on the importance of Ganga Rejuvenation and conservation while appealing to everyone to join the movement and turn it into a Jan Andolan (mass movement).
Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, Sh. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Ji addressed a gathering at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh. He stressed on the importance of Ganga rejuvenation & conservation while appealing to everyone to join the movement & turn it into a massive Jan Andolan. pic.twitter.com/9PS3zAM0PL
— Namami Gange (@cleanganganmcg) June 13, 2019
The month long Katha celebration and recitation of Bhagawan Shri Ram’s life and teachings, is dedicated to promoting nation building, sustainable living and protecting our sacred rivers. Starting on the 16th May with an inauguration by the Honble Governor of Uttarakhand Smt Baby Rani Mauryaji it has welcomed many revered saints, interfaith leaders and eminent leaders throughout to lead pledges and inspire committed action that would make our world a cleaner and greener place for all beings.
On the occasion of the Hon’ble Minister’s visit, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, Pujya Sant Murlidharji and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji offered the Hon’ble Minister a special and unique Rudraksha sapling as a humble contribution to the 10,000 Rudraksha Trees that NMCG is planting in Uttarakhand, in partnership with INTACH and HCL Foundation. The rest of the members of Namami Gange team were also offered Rudraksha sapling as the traditional blessing from Pujya Swamiji and the respected saints. The team was also gifted on the auspicious occasion of Nirjala Ekadasi and Ganga Dussehra with a special framed photograph of Water Crystal structure of the sacred River Ganga – a special piece from the ongoing Jal Shakti Exhibition at the Ashram, being organised by German Water Experts Erwin and Ursula Noll.
The entire team also joined for the evening Ganga Aarti, performed divine Ganga Poojan, played Namami Gange’s special Kartavya Ganga song and led a special Clean Ganga pledge. They also enjoyed a beautiful performance by Odissi Natya Sala by Anita Babu and her troupe from Delhi entitled Nadi Nararyani on the theme of River Rejuvenation.
The team was apprised of the Jal Mandir Parmarth Pi-Lo Pani Clean Drinking Water Stations that after having served in the Kumbh Mela would be installed in pilgrimage and tourist locations across India such as Char Dham, Ajmer Sharif, Hemkund Sahib and other prominent locations.
They also launched and previewed a special decentralised Sewage Treatment Plant being installed at the Ashram to treat all of it’s sewage wastewater on site- this would be the first of it’s kind for any ashram. The 10KLD – 200KLD treatment plant is being installed by the Pi-Lo Pani Seva Foundation, in partnership with the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance and Ganga Action Parivar.
Being the visionary behind the concept, Pujya Swamiji shared, “It is so befitting that as the month long Shri Ram Katha, dedicated to Rashtriya, environmental preservation and protecting our sacred rivers, comes to an end we have with us the Hon’ble Jal Shakti Minister to lead us and the nation in a pledge to take Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modiji’s pledge for a Clean Ganga into the heart and hands of the masses. Let us take the divine example of the values that Bhagawan Ram’s life exemplifies and be the change the wish to see in our communities and our nation. Let us pledge on Nirjala Ekadasi and Ganga Dussehra to understand the power of water and to do our individual part to be a part of the solution! By working to implement decentralized treatment systems and solutions we can each be part of the change that Maa Ganga needs to not only survive but thrive.”
Pujya Swamiji reminded everyone to connect deeply to their culture and values and protect the sacred Ganga River which He mentioned is not just an ordinary river but divine nectar, which is available and free for all until we polluted and contaminated it with our irresponsible and unsustainable waste disposal. He urged us to act collectively and act immediately with the great vision and call of our Hon’ble Prime Minister and the leadership of the Hon’ble Jal Shakti Minister to rejuvenate and revive this sacred River which is the very lifeline of India.
Pujya Sant Murlidharji shared, “It has been such a blessing to be here on the banks of Mother Ganga and to be a small and humble part of the great work that the Ashram and it’s sister organisations are doing to be part of the change that our world needs for improving access to clean water, sanitation and for bringing about a change to the mindsets of the people so that they also can be active in doing their essential part. The month long live Katha is a way that I can exhibit my Kathakar Social Responsibility to encourage our communities to reconnect with their values, their roots and then to act to be the change they wish to see.”
Sadhvi Bhagawatiji also added, “It is so incredible to see the beautiful coming together of Sarkar (Government) and Sanskar (Values) which will be the foundation of the change that India is awaiting to rise as the global leader that it is. By rejuvenating the River Ganga we are simultaneously renewing our connection to our values and our rich spiritual cultural heritage which is the very essence of our nation.”
As the team departed this morning a beautiful water blessing ceremony symbolised the great pledge and commitment to work together to protect, preserve and serve water as the true power and wealth of the nation and the world.