Thousands gathered on the banks of the River Thames in London yesterday for the city’s first-ever Ganga Aarti – a traditional Hindu ceremony of light, prayer and thanksgiving.

The ceremony, held in Greenwich, was organised by Chinmaya Mission UK in collaboration with the annual Totally Thames festival as part of global celebrations marking 75 years of the charity.

 

Leading the ceremony, Global Head of Chinmaya Mission UK, Swami Swaroopananda, said the event recreated the spirit of the world-famous Ganga Aarti in India, while symbolising the life-giving flow of nature, knowledge and consciousness. He said the gathering was an opportunity to remember the spiritual and cultural significance of Mother Ganga and invoke that spirit along the Thames, at the heart of London.

 

The ceremony featured large, multi-tiered oil lamps, prayers, music and chanting. Organisers said it was conducted entirely on land, with nothing from the ceremony placed, poured or released into the river. The event was also intended as a celebration of the British Hindu and South Asian community, while inviting people of all backgrounds to come together in gratitude and reverence for nature.

 

Chinmaya Mission, founded in 1951, is a global organisation focused on spiritual growth, education and community service, inspired by the teachings of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda.