Kolkata to select spot for Ganga Aarti

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, along with her officers and city police, visited several spots for conducting the Varanasi-like Ganga Aarti in Kolkata.

Later, addressing the pilgrims of the Gangasagar Mela, Ms Banerjee asked Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim to start working find a spot for Ganga Aarti from Thursday as January 12 is the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

“I have been to Kashi and witnessed the Ganga Aarti. They have staircases in the riverbank but that is not the case here. In Kolkata, we would have to organise wooden planks and barricades for the aarti and should also have to ensure people’s safety. The KMC will do the work. The Aarti will be performed in the evening, and in the morning the banks will be cleared for people,” she said.

Ms Banerjee said the Ganga Aarti could be started in Dakshineswar and Belur Math also at a later stage.

Meanwhile, recalling a few teachings of Swami Vivekananda, the CM said the ‘honest’ people always survive.

“Once Vivekananda visited Kashi and a few monkeys were chasing him and when he chased back the monkeys they ran away. It shows we should always ‘face the brutes’. The cowards always run away and honest people always survive,” Ms Banerjee said, quoting the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.

The West Bengal CM added she believed in religion which has a ‘human face’.

“We believe in Hinduism which has a human face and keeps faith in every religion. We believe in the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramhansa and other saints whose teachings are immortal,” Ms Banerjee added.

Published on: Thursday, January 12, 2023, 05:32 AM IST