Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

G-20 meeting in Rishikesh commences with Parmarth Niketan's renowned Ganga Aarti ceremony

The primary focus of the G-20 delegates’ assembly was to convene, address, and discuss crucial matters concerning finance and anti-corruption

G-20 meeting in Rishikesh commences with Parmarth Niketan's renowned Ganga Aarti ceremony

The G-20 Meeting of the Anti-Corruption Working Group commenced with a remarkable gathering at Parmarth Niketan, the largest ashram in Rishikesh and one of India's leading spiritual institutions.

On Wednesday (24), 200 delegates representing all 20 G-20 countries, along with representatives from around the world, participated in a special Ganga Aarti ceremony and dinner. This event served as the opening ceremony for the delegates' three-day meetings in Uttarakhand, providing them with a unique opportunity to experience and engage in Parmarth Niketan's world-famous Ganga Aarti.


The primary focus of the G-20 delegates' assembly was to convene, address, and discuss crucial matters concerning finance and anti-corruption. Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, highlighted the importance of cultural programmes at the meeting venues, aiming to showcase Uttarakhand's beauty, culture, and specialties to the world.

01 Image 2023 05 24 at 8.11.09 PM

Upon their arrival at Parmarth Niketan, the delegates received a warm welcome with traditional tilak markings and shawls. They then proceeded to the Ganga ghat, where the ceremony commenced with the traditional lighting of a lamp.

During the event, all participants collectively pledged to strive for a green, sustainable, and peaceful planet, recognising that we are truly "One Family living on One Earth with One Future."

HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, President of Parmarth Niketan and Founder of Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, Divine Shakti Foundation, and Ganga Action Parivar, shared his thoughts on the occasion: "As we gather for the G-20 meetings, we must unite to bring peace to the entire planet. We have worshipped the Divine Creator for so long. Now, the time has come to protect, preserve, and serve the divine Creation. This is what the mantra of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam teaches us."

Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance and President of Divine Shakti Foundation, added, "Today, science is reaffirming what our rishis and sages, who meditated in these Himalayas thousands of years ago, told us: that the well-being of our bodies, minds, communities, and nations begins with meditation and yoga, revealing the true interconnectedness of all creation. The teachings and truths of Indian spiritual culture are not a dogma but a dharma—a way of life that is accessible, applicable, and beneficial for all."

The Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan Ashram was initiated over 30 years ago by HH Param Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj. Its aim was to foster love and devotion for Mother Ganga, inspire people to keep her banks clean, and put an end to open defecation along her sacred shores.

More For You

King Charles

King Charles, wearing a black armband to pay respects to the victims of Air India plane crash, attends the Trooping the Colour parade on his official birthday in London. (Photo: Reuters)

Air India crash: Victims remembered during King Charles's birthday parade

A MINUTE's silence for the victims of the Air India plane crash was observed on Saturday during the Trooping the Colour parade in London marking King Charles's official birthday. Some members of the royal family wore black armbands during the ceremony.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles, 76, had requested changes to the parade “as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy”.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rochdale grooming case

They were all remanded in custody, except Bashir, who absconded before the trial began. (Photo: Greater Manchester Police)

Seven men convicted of raping 13-year-old girls in Rochdale grooming case

SEVEN men were convicted on Friday in the UK’s latest grooming trial, after a jury heard that two girl victims were forced to have sex “with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses”.

Jurors at the court in Manchester, northwest England, deliberated for three weeks before finding the seven men, all of whom are of South Asian descent, guilty of rape.

Keep ReadingShow less
karan-thakar

Karun Thakar is a leading textile collector with a lifelong focus on Asian and African textiles

Karun Collection

Karun Thakar Fund to support textile research with scholarships and grants

THE KARUN THAKAR FUND, established by textile collector Karun Thakar in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), supports the study of Asian and African textiles and dress through scholarships and project grants.

The fund offers one-time Scholarship Awards of up to £10,000 for university students worldwide focusing on any aspect of Asian or African textiles and dress. Undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students from any accredited university are eligible, provided their research or practice is clearly linked to these areas. The next round of Scholarship Award applications opens on 1 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 on July 15, 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India

A view shows the wreckage of the tail section of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from airport in Ahmedabad. (Photo: Reuters)

Air India crash: Probe focuses on engine and flaps; safety checks ordered for 787 fleet

THE INVESTIGATION into the Air India crash that killed more than 240 people is focusing on the aircraft's engine, flaps, and landing gear.

The Indian aviation regulator has ordered safety checks on the airline’s entire Boeing 787 fleet, reported Reuters.

Keep ReadingShow less