Second Phase of Historic Aman Ekta Hariyali Yatra Hits Gujarat

Message of Love and Brotherhood is the wave that Interfaith Leaders Encourage to combat Climate Change and Water Scarcity

Gujarat: As the beginning of the second phase of the Aman Ekta Hariyali Yatra, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, President, Parmarth Niketan, Co-Founder, Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA), and Maulana Mahmood Madaniji, Secretary General, Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind (JUH), joined together in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. They started the Yatra from a visit with the Honble Governor of Gujarat Acharya Shri Dev Vratji and were joined and warmly welcomed by Pujya Swami Madhavpriyadasji, President, Swaminarayan Gurukul and many others yesterday.

After a brief and warm meeting of the interfaith delegation with the Honble Governor and having summarising the tremendous success of the first phase which started in Rishikesh and continued through Haridwar, Saharanpur, Muzzafarnagar, Deoband into Shamli, planting more than 6,000 trees, including neem, chandan, amla, peepal, arica palm, and others in 25 locations including masjids, madrasas, temples, schools, hospitals, train stations and other public places along the way.

The Honble Acharya Devvratji was deeply impressed and glad to inaugurate the second phase at the Governor House and invited the respected faith leaders and their delegation to plant five sacred plants of Rudraksha, Bargard, Tulsi and others.

Honble Governor of Gujarat shared, “It is a matter of great pride for me to be associated with this noble intiative and this beautiful Yatra. I warmly welcome Pujya Swamiji, Maulana Mahmood Madaniji and Pujya Madhavpriyadasji. I am glad to see this message spread through the sacred soil of Gujarat.”

Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji said in a mass rally today, “At a time in which water crisis and environmental crisis are staring us in the face. It is time for action! We must come together and be together and this is objective of this Aman Ekta Hariyali Yatra. Tree plantation is a means through which we bring coolness to the Earth. But planting trees together is a means by which we bring coolness to our hearts and minds. Because there can be a plan A and plan B but there can not be a planet B there is one planet, together we must protect, preserve and serve that planet.”

Maulana Mahmoodji shared, “This is not just a Ped Ki Yatra (a sacred pilgrimage for trees) it’s a Pyar Ki Yatra (pilgrimage of love). That’s why we must spread this message, each one planting eleven and inspiring eleven others to do the same. Because oxygen and water is something that every human being regardless of their faith requires and it’s something whose gifts continuing giving long after you leave your body. Let us plant trees and leave behind a green world for our future generations.”

Thereafter starting the second day of the Yatra from Swaminarayan Gurukul, Charodi, Pujya Swamiji and Maulana Madaniji reached a school of 1,200 children in Mehsana, thereafter covered two locations in Siddhpur, including the beautiful Gokul University campus where there was a beautiful tree plantation followed by an inspiring stage programme.

Thereafter the Yatra covered masjids, schools and public spaces in Chhapi, Badargadh, Kamalpur, to Sedrasana, Kanodar, and Palanpur, making the sacred land of Gujarat clean and green in a beautiful and inspiring way.

Through this yatra, the faith leaders have emphasised that trees are the key to reverse the devastating effects of climate change must be spread far and wide, inspiring millions across the nation and around the world. The essential message of this interfaith yatra is to inspire mass tree plantation, encouraging everyone to plant at least eleven trees each and inspire eleven others to plant at least eleven trees. The Yatra is also striving to prevent and stop the utilisation of single use plastic, as well as working together to conserve water in every capacity through rain water harvesting, treatment of wastewater and prevention of water wastage.

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