First-Ever Ganga Aarti Held on River Thames in UK

Thousands gathered on the banks of the River Thames on Sunday for the first-ever Ganga Aarti, a ceremony of light and thanksgiving, in London.

 'Ganga Aarti on the Thames: A Ceremony of Light' was organised by Chinmaya Mission UK in collaboration with the annual 'Totally Thames' festival, as part of the global celebrations marking 75 years of the charity. Recreating ethos of the world-famous aarti by the River Ganges in India, the event in London was conceived as a symbol of the life-giving flow of nature, knowledge



and consciousness.

"For generations, communities have gathered on the banks of Ganga to offer light in gratitude for the river, for nature and for all that sustains life," said Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya, Resident Teacher of Chinmaya Mission UK. 

"Ganga Aarti on the Thames carries that same spirit, bringing people together in a shared moment of gratitude, hope and unity," she said. Chaitanya explained that for the Chinmaya Mission, the River Ganges also symbolises the flow of knowledge.