Historic first: London hosts Ganga aarti on banks of Thames
PTC Web Desk: A historic cultural and spiritual ceremony was held in London on Sunday as the city witnessed its first-ever Ganga aarti on the banks of the River Thames, drawing thousands of people for an evening centred on gratitude, nature and unity.
The event was organised by Chinmaya Mission UK in collaboration with the annual Totally Thames Festival, as part of global celebrations marking 75 years of the Chinmaya Mission.
Inspired by the traditional Ganga aarti performed along the banks of the Ganga in India, the ceremony on the Thames sought to highlight the connection between nature, knowledge and human consciousness.
Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya, Resident Teacher at Chinmaya Mission UK, said generations of people have offered lamps by rivers as a way of expressing gratitude for nature and the forces that sustain life. She said the Thames ceremony carried the same spirit, bringing people together in a shared moment of hope, unity and thanksgiving.
She also explained that the Ganga holds a deeper significance for the Chinmaya Mission as a symbol of the flow of knowledge. The organisation's founder, Swami Chinmayananda, took the ancient teachings of Vedanta from the Himalayas to people’s everyday lives.
The organisers placed a strong focus on environmental responsibility during the ceremony. The entire Aarti was conducted from the riverbank, with no lamps or other materials released into the Thames. Lamps were kept on the shore to preserve the river's cleanliness while respecting the traditional spirit of the ceremony.
Organisers also avoided single-use plastic and made arrangements to minimise waste and prevent any environmental impact around the venue.
The ceremony took place against the backdrop of Greenwich's historic Old Royal Naval College, accompanied by music and the chanting of traditional mantras. Leaders of Hindu organisations from across the UK, religious figures and members of the South Asian community attended the event.
According to Chinmaya Mission UK, the ceremony was intended not only as a cultural celebration but also as a reminder of the importance of protecting the natural world.
The Ganga Aarti was included in the Totally Thames Festival for the first time since the festival began in 1997. With tickets sold out in advance, the strong response has raised the possibility of the ceremony becoming a regular annual feature of the festival in the years ahead.
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- With inputs from agencies
