Thousands gathered along London’s River Thames for the first-ever Ganga Aarti, organised by Chinmaya Mission UK with the Totally Thames festival. Inspired by the traditional ceremony on the Ganges, the event celebrated gratitude, nature, knowledge and unity. Organisers kept the ceremony entirely on land, ensuring nothing was placed or released into the Thames.

Thousands gathered on the banks of the River Thames on Sunday for the first-ever Ganga Aarti, a ceremony of light and thanksgiving, in London.

‘Ganga Aarti on the Thames: A Ceremony of Light’ was organised by Chinmaya Mission UK in collaboration with the annual ‘Totally Thames’ festival, as part of the global celebrations marking 75 years of the charity.

Recreating the ethos of the world-famous aarti by the River Ganges in India, the event in London was conceived as a symbol of the life-giving flow of nature, knowledge and consciousness.

"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," said Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya, Resident Teacher of Chinmaya Mission UK.