London witnessed a first-of-its-kind spiritual spectacle as a ‘Ganga Aarti’ ceremony was held on the banks of the River Thames. Thousands gathered along the riverfront to watch the event, described as historic by organisers.
The programme was organised by Chinmaya Mission as part of its global celebrations marking the organisation’s 75th anniversary. It was also aligned with London’s annual ‘Totally Thames’ festival.
Ganga Aarti on the banks of the Ganga in India is widely known for its devotional atmosphere. Organisers said the London event aimed to recreate a similar spiritual setting by the Thames.
Brahmacharini Sripriya Chaitanya, a teacher at Chinmaya Mission’s London centre, said generations have come together on the Ganga’s banks to offer aarti as a gesture of gratitude to the river, nature and all that sustains life. She added that the Thames ceremony followed the same spirit and received an emotional, warm response from Indians living in London.
