Archive · 14 Sep 2026
First Ganga Aarti on Thames Draws Thousands in London
Thousands of people gathered in London for a Hindu ceremony called Ganga Aarti.
It was held beside the River Thames for the first time.
The ceremony uses lamps, prayers, music and chanting to show gratitude for rivers and nature.
Chinmaya Mission UK organised it with the Totally Thames festival.
The event also marked 75 years of Chinmaya Mission.
Organisers said the River Ganges can represent the flow of knowledge as well as water.
Hindu and South Asian communities attended, and people of all backgrounds were invited.
The ceremony took place on the riverbank, so nothing was put into the Thames.
Organisers also worked to reduce waste and single-use plastic.
Thousands attended London’s first-ever Ganga Aarti beside the River Thames in Greenwich.
Chinmaya Mission UK organised the sell-out ceremony with the Totally Thames festival during its 75th-anniversary celebrations.
The Hindu ceremony featured multi-tiered oil lamps, prayer, music and chanting.
Spiritual leaders, Hindu organisations and British Hindu and South Asian communities joined the event, which welcomed people of all backgrounds.
The ceremony was held entirely on land, with nothing released into the Thames and measures taken to reduce waste and single-use plastics.
- Who
- Chinmaya Mission UK, spiritual leaders including Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya, Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati, Hindu organisations and communities across the UK, and thousands of attendees.
- What
- The first-ever Ganga Aarti in London was held beside the River Thames as a ceremony of light and thanksgiving.
- When
- On a Sunday in September; reports identify it as September 14, while an event caption dates it September 13, 2026.
- Where
- On the banks of the River Thames near the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London.
- Why
- To recreate the spirit of the Ganga Aarti traditionally held beside the River Ganges, express gratitude for nature, celebrate the flow of knowledge and mark Chinmaya Mission’s 75th anniversary.
- Event
- Ganga Aarti on the Thames: A Ceremony of Light
- Organiser
- Chinmaya Mission UK
- Festival partner
- Totally Thames
- Attendance
- Thousands; the event was reported as sell-out
- Ceremony elements
- Multi-tiered oil lamps, prayer, music and chanting
- Location
- Greenwich, beside the River Thames and the Old Royal Naval College
- Environmental measures
- The ceremony remained on land; nothing was placed, poured or released into the Thames, and organisers sought to reduce waste and single-use plastics
- Chinmaya Mission reach
- More than 350 locations worldwide
Sources
First-ever Ganga Aarti held on River Thames in UK
London’s Thames witnessed Ganga Aarti; watch thousands gather
First-ever Ganga Aarti held on River Thames in UK
Ganga Aarti On Thames: Thousands Gather In London For First-Ever Ceremony Of Light And Gratitude
London's Hindu community celebrates historic Ganga Aarti on the Thames
