Green Kumbh reaches New Delhi

New Delhi, 25 October 2012

The “Kumbh” symbolizing the Green Kumbh Yatra was received at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir of Delhi today by His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree Purushottampriyadasji Maharaj of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan.

The auspicious days of Durga Puja and Vijaya Dashmi formed a perfect setting for the Kumbh to arrive in India’s capital heralding the beginning of Green Kumbh Yatra activities by Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan.

During the facilitation ceremony at the Delhi temple, Kusum Vyas, founder of the Green Kumbh Movement was presented by a garland and a shawl and blessed by HDH Purushottampriyadasji Maharaj, who she described as the “perfect spiritual leader under whose guidance the Swaminarayan Sanstha has a proven track record of being one of the most ecologically conscious religious organizations that has undertaken many noteworthy projects such as building check dams and rainwater harvesting systems in Gujarat”.

His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree Purushottampriyadasji Maharaj said: “The Green Kumbh Yatra is a noble initiative founded by Ms. Vyas. I am sure that the messages of biodiversity and environmental conservation will be spread far and wide. It is my sincere prayer to the Almighty that the Yatra will be successful in achieving all the objectives.”

The Green Kumbh Yatra has no modern precedent. Inaugurated on the margins of COP 11 in Hyderabad, India on October 14, the Green Kumbh Yatra is an environmental pilgrimage that will traverse through various parts of India before traveling across continents and countries and ultimately arrive in South Korea for COP 12 in 2014.

Kusum Vyas described the Green Kumbh Yatra as “a pilgrimage to emphasize the profound connection between the collective wisdom and resources of the faith traditions and their role in conserving biodiversity.”

To ensure the Green Kumbh Yatra’s success, Living Planet Foundation has collaborated with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, DiversEarth, GYAN, IUCN, the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative, Vikasa Tarangini and the WCPA Specialist Group on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas.