By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Prayagraj, 12 Feb: The closing ceremony of the Social Media Mahakumbh was held at the Parmarth Niketan Kumbh Camp, here, and led by Swami Chidanand Saraswati, President of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Secretary General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance. More than one hundred social media influencers participated in the Social Media Mahakumbh, spreading the colours and vibrancy of the Kumbh for the world to see and experience through their social media channels.
Swami Chidanand led all the social media influencers and Parmarth Kumbh Mela participants from over twenty nations in a Sankalp to use the power of social media for positivity, connection, and pride in the nation. He further led everyone in a pledge to conserve and protect water, inviting everyone on this occasion to vow to keep the rivers of the world clean.
“Dev Bhakti, love of the Divine, is wonderful and essential. However, we must also focus on desh bhakti, love for the nation,” he emphasised. “The love and connection become the source for messages that are positive bring people together and reinforce our Oneness. We must stop spreading messages of separation, borders and boundaries and instead spread messages of oneness and togetherness.”
“You are so fortunate to have come here all the way to Kumbh for this experience,” reminded Sadhvi Bhagwati. “However, to only watch the Kumbh is not enough to see the real Kumbh. Kumbh is something we must experience within ourselves, to allow the vibration of the sacred snans, the divine energy to flow through us. You as social media influencers have a unique and powerful impact on the mood of the people and the nation. I feel sad when I see so many young people of India thinking that the sole purpose for doing well in school or work is to leave India and go abroad. Use your influencer positions to instill excitement and a love for India in young Indians, stimulating them with a message that the best use of their talents and abilities is in India. Prime Minister Modi’s team promotes “Made in India” – let’s instill in Indians a mantra of “made for India” – their education, their effort, their worth is intrinsically tied to the beautiful culture of India and is for India, a beauty that is the aastha darshan of India. The sanskriti of the people and the aashta of the people.”
Also present was Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Swatantr Dev. He said: “Social media should realise its power and show the real facts to the world. Social media is the best medium for experiencing the Kumbh for those not able to actually come to the spiritual gathering.”
The curator of the programme was Shantanu Gupta, while Pushkar Sharma was the co-curator.
A special biographical coffee table book was also released: “Spirituality and Wisdom”, a biography of Swami Pragyananand Maharaj, who lived at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh. Dinesh was a longtime devotee and the book summarises the many lessons he learned from Swami Pragyanand over the years. Present at the book launch was Governor of West Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathi, and Bhajan Samrat Anup Jalota, along with many other dignitaries.
