Delhi’s Yamunotsav began on Sunday with a ‘Jal Yajna’ at Vasudev Ghat, attended by hundreds of devotees to raise awareness about the preservation of the Yamuna River.
As part of the opening ceremony, 501 women from across the city participated in a Kalash Yatra, an official statement said.
The event was inaugurated in the presence of Delhi Art, Culture and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra, MLA Rajkumar Bhatia, Yamuna Sansad convenor Ravishankar Tiwari, and social worker Ranjeet Pathak.
The rituals commenced with offerings of water drawn from the Yamuna, performed by priests from Yamunotri and Vrindavan amid Vedic chants and prayers for the river’s wellbeing. The ceremonies also featured recitations of the Yamunastakam by Adi Shankaracharya and Vallabhacharya, the statement added.
In the afternoon, spiritual storyteller Ajay Bhai Ji narrated the Yamuna Katha, underscoring the river’s sacred and ecological importance. He urged citizens to take collective responsibility for maintaining the purity and continuous flow of the Yamuna, calling it Delhi’s lifeline.
The day concluded with a Yamuna Aarti led by Swami Chidanand Saraswati, President of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh.
Organiser Ravishankar Tiwari said the second day of the festival will feature the Yamuna Conclave, where water scientists from across the country will discuss scientific approaches to rejuvenate the river. (PTI)
