London hosts first-ever Ganga aarti on Thames for Chinmaya Mission at 75
Thousands of people gathered on the banks of the River Thames in London on Sunday for the first-ever Ganga aarti in the city, a ceremony of light and thanksgiving organised as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of Chinmaya Mission.
Titled 'Ganga Aarti on the Thames: A Ceremony of Light', the event was organised by Chinmaya Mission UK in collaboration with the annual Totally Thames festival. Recreating the ethos of the well-known aarti held on the banks of the Ganga in India, it was conceived as a symbol of the life-giving flow of nature, knowledge and consciousness. The sell-out event is likely to become a regular annual feature.
Swami Swaroopananda, Global Head of Chinmaya Mission, said the idea was to bring people together in a shared spiritual space in the heart of London. "The whole idea was that we come together, remembering that spirit of Mother Ganga, the spiritual flow of tradition, culture, knowledge and here, which is the very centre of London, that we can invoke Mother Ganga in the Thames and remember her and her divinity and beauty," he told PTI.
He added: "When we have a common altar of devotion, dedication, we all leave aside our differences and come together to express what lies deep in our heart, and that is the spirit of oneness, spirit of love, spirit of harmony which Guru Dev Swami Chinmayananda, inspired by Mother Ganga, brought as the knowledge from the heights of the Himalayas. (He) dedicated his entire life to spread this knowledge of Vedanta, which teaches us that there is only one indivisible truth in you, in me, in everyone, beyond all differences and all distinctions." Swami Swaroopananda later led the aarti on the banks of the Thames in Greenwich and also highlighted the charity's work in education, rural development and sewa in the UK.
Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya, Resident Teacher of Chinmaya Mission UK, said the ceremony carried forward a long tradition of gratitude. "For generations, communities have gathered on the banks of the Ganga to offer light in gratitude for the river, for nature and for all that sustains life. Ganga aarti on the Thames carries that same spirit - bringing people together in a shared moment of gratitude, hope and unity," she said.
She said that for Chinmaya Mission, the Ganga also symbolises the flow of knowledge. "Our founder, Swami Chinmayananda, dedicated his life to bringing the timeless wisdom of Vedanta - one of the great philosophical traditions of Hinduism - from the Himalayas into people's everyday lives. As we mark 75 years of Chinmaya Mission, this event is also a celebration of that legacy - of knowledge, service and gratitude flowing beyond boundaries," she said.
The aarti, a traditional Hindu ceremony of gratitude involving large multi-tiered oil lamps accompanied by prayer, music and chanting, was presented as an expression of reverence for the river and wider gratitude for Mother Nature. A Chinmaya Mission spokesperson said, "Reverence for nature is not simply an additional theme of Ganga aarti. The ceremony itself is an expression of gratitude towards Mother Ganga, honoured in Hindu tradition as sacred, life-giving and sustaining."
The ceremony on the Thames was held entirely on land, with nothing from it placed, poured or released into the river. "The ceremonial lamps will remain on the riverbank rather than being floated on the water, allowing us to honour the spirit of the tradition while ensuring the Thames remains undisturbed. That same principle extends across the event, with measures to minimise waste, reduce single-use plastics and ensure the site and surrounding environment are treated responsibly," the spokesperson said.
Set against the backdrop of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, the event featured music and chanting and brought together senior spiritual leaders and representatives from Hindu organisations and communities across the UK. It was planned as a wider celebration for the British Hindu and South Asian community, while also inviting people of all backgrounds to join in gratitude and reverence for nature. Chinmaya Mission UK said, "At its heart, Ganga aarti reminds us not to take the natural world for granted. Gratitude towards nature should be expressed not only through prayer, but through the care and responsibility with which we treat the environment around us."
Chinmaya Mission, founded in 1951, is a global movement rooted in the wisdom of Vedanta and inspired by Swami Chinmayananda. It now has more than 350 locations worldwide and runs spiritual, cultural, academic and service initiatives. In the UK, it offers programmes for children, teenagers, young adults, families and senior citizens. Totally Thames, organised by a trust since 1997, celebrates the River Thames through arts, environmental, heritage and education programmes. Sunday's event brought those strands together in a first-of-its-kind Ganga aarti on the Thames.
