UNITED KINGDOM, September 14, 2026 (Latestly): Thousands of people gathered on the banks of the River Thames in London on Sunday for the first-ever Ganga Aarti in the UK, a traditional Hindu ceremony of light and thanksgiving organized by Chinmaya Mission UK in collaboration with the annual Totally Thames festival. Titled “Ganga Aarti on the Thames: A Ceremony of Light,” the event was held as part of global celebrations marking 75 years of Chinmaya Mission. It recreated the ethos of the traditional Ganga Aarti performed on the banks of the River Ganges in India, bringing together members of the British Hindu and South Asian communities as well as people from other backgrounds. The ceremony was conceived as a symbol of the life-giving flow of nature, knowledge and consciousness, reported PTI. Set against the backdrop of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, the event featured traditional music, chanting, prayer and large multi-tiered oil lamps.

Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya, Resident Teacher of Chinmaya Mission UK, said the ceremony carried the same spirit of gratitude associated with the Ganga Aarti in India. “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,” she said. “Ganga Aarti on the Thames carries that same spirit, bringing people together in a shared moment of gratitude, hope and unity.” For the Chinmaya Mission, the River Ganges also represents the flow of knowledge. Chaitanya said the event was particularly significant as the organisation marks its 75th anniversary. “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,” she said. Organizers said the ceremony was conducted entirely on land, with no materials from the event placed, poured or released into the River Thames.

https://www.latestly.com/uk/ganga-aarti-in-london-videos-thousands-gather-on-thames-for-first-ever-ceremony-in-uk-7603599.html

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