Yamuna Aarti at Dussehra Ghat,Taj Mahal, Agra

Yamuna Aarti at Dussehra Ghat,Taj Mahal, Agra

June 26, 2019

A gorgeous and beautiful Yamuna Aarti took place recently at the Dussehra Ghat, Agra in the presence of the Hon’ble Governor of Uttarakhand Smt Baby Rani Mauryaji and HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, President, Parmarth Niketan. The Aarti included a mass pledge and commitment to work together to make our sacred Rivers Ganga and Yamuna and their tributaries unpolluted and free-flowing again.


The Hon’ble Governor shared during the Aarti ceremony, “I had urged Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji to visit Agra to perform the divine Aarti ceremony here and to inspire us to clean and green the city. I am so glad that he has joined us today and I urge him to continue coming every 2-3 months to add momentum to this noble beginning.” She added, “Agra is known for the Taj Mahal but let it also be known for its rejuvenated and clean River Yamuna, because Yamuna is the very lifeline of the city and the inspiration of millions of devotees worldwide.”

Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji shared, “Aarti literally means that which removes pain and brings us joy and happiness. Today, its time to expand our limited vision of happiness to include the rejuvenation and restoration of our sacred rivers. Without our rivers, without our fresh water sources we cannot survive therefore let these ceremonies inspire us to protect, preserve, revere & respect these natural resources as well as act collectively, consistently and cohesively to be the change that we want to see in the world.”


Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji has been the founder and the inspiration behind the popularatization of the Aarti ceremony across the banks of the National River Ganga, beginning the Ganga Aarti on the banks of the Parmarth Niketan in 1997, then Gangotri in 1998, Varanasi in 1999, which is now known world over as a true experience of Incredible India. In the year 2000, Sangam Aarti started at Prayagraj. At the same time, Aarti ceremonies have been held in Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, even along the sea in Mumbai and the ocean in Ganga Sagar. He has also inspired the ceremony in many countries in America, Europe, Mauritius, Germany and many others. These Aarti ceremonies are a platform to connect the masses to the call of protecting their sacred resources, become ambassadors of water. At the same time, from time to time, Ganga Aarti has world class scientists, saints, environmentalists, water ambassadors, Presidents of many countries, Governors, Ambassadors, Celebrities, Musicians and eminent dignitaries grace it to give the message of river conservation and lead mass pledges.

Talking about the dire situation of the River Yamuna, Pujya Swamiji said that from Yamunotri to Prayagraj, Yamuna and its tributaries pass through Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. However, on its 22 km journey in Delhi it becomes the most polluted, with 18 wastewater drains, 15 drains just between the Wazirabad Dam and the Okhla Dam fall into the Yamuna, bringing the ammonia content in the Yamuna water to 1.12 million particles, rendering the river severely polluted. If we talk of Delhi, about 32.69 million gallons of dirty water, industrial waste, paper mill, sugar mill, sugarcane mill waste is being dumped directly into the Yamuna.

Pujya Swamiji stressed that if the Yamuna has to be brought to life, public awareness and people’s movement is absolutely necessary. He fecilitated Her Excellency Mrs. Baby Rani Mauryaji and the organisers of the Aarti by offering the sacred Rudraksha sapling.

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