Ashram on the Ganga

For decades we have enjoyed a rare and close connection with Swami Chidanand Saraswati, whom all endearingly call Muniji, the head of one of the great ashrams in Rishikesh and our erstwhile Hindu of the Year. We are eager to visit them and to join in the famed evening arati to Ganga Mata that they hold every night.

We cross the bridge and walk through the narrow streets that lead to this amazing place, sitting with Muniji and his able administrator Sadhvi Bhagavati for a few minutes before the call comes that all have gathered at the water's edge.

Muniji guides us to the ghat where hundreds have gathered and where that very day 12 priests chanted the Hanuman Chalisa for twelve full hours, 54 rounds that they will repeat tomorrow.

Such a sweet way to be with the river and with devotees of the highest caliber. Hours pass. Devotees come to their guru's garden to ask questions, seek counsel and blessings, offer gifts and service. Swami speaks a lot about the need for toilets in India! A surprising but much-needed subject that is dear to him. He even has a bio toilet experiment that he shows us, right in the ashram.

A lovely way to end our day in Rishikesh. Jai Ganga Ma!

Our route from Chennai to Rishikesh

We cross the bridge near sunset

The ashram has, we are told, 1,000 rooms or more.

Muniji is working on goshalas, water cleaning, street garbage, toilet improvements and other notably practical initiatives all designed to uplift the nation

Sadhvi will later tell the group of the work of Hinduism Today

The evening begins

A small yagna is fueled with ghee

Swami sings and chants to greet and guide all present

His brahmacharis are disciplined and dedicated

The Siva that once sat on the platform here was washed into the waters by the recent flooding. They are replacing it.

Yoginathaswami offers the arati lamp

Jai Ganga Ma! Jai!

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