Juna Akhara to launch drive for conservation of Yamuna

Prayagraj: Although much is being done in the country to conserve the sacred river Ganga, the seers of Shri Panchdasnaam Juna Akhada, one of the 13 ancient recognised Hindu monastic orders of the country, have now decided to undertake efforts to conserve river Yamuna too. With this aim, support of seers of the Akhara in Prayagraj as well as other towns and villages of the state would be roped in.
For this purpose, the monastic order has decided to organise ‘Kalindi Utsav’ under which wide-spread riverbank cleaning exercises and conservation awareness events would be launched between Karela Bagh and Bade Hanuman temple in Prayagraj on November 14. “The effort would be gradually scaled up to a state-level mission,” said Mahant Hari Giri, general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) and chief patron of Juna Akhada.
“Yamuna is also a sacred river in Hinduism. The river is worshipped as a Hindu goddess called Yamuna, also known as Yami in early texts, while in later religious literature she has been called Kalindi. In Hindu scriptures, she is daughter of Surya, the sun god and Sanjna, the cloud goddess,” the senior saint said.
“Aimed at attracting the attention of the people as well as the governments towards the need of undertaking Yamuna-specific initiatives to conserve the river, demand of constructing public toilets on the river banks would also be raised,” said Mahant Hari Giri.
“We want basic amenities to be developed first to conserve the Yamuna, followed by the people residing on its bank being sensitised about the need to conserve the river and its importance among millions of Hindus. The next step possibly could be strict measures by levying fines, etc., on people polluting the river and its banks by dumping waste, garbage and releasing untreated sewage into it,” he said.
The Juna Akhada, the largest of all 13 monastic orders in terms of count of seers as well as maximum number of Naga ascetics, would also undertake massive tree plantation drives along the banks of the Yamuna as part of this mission.
“We will involve locals residing on the riverbank as well as volunteers for looking after the planted trees. Our saints and seers across the state will use their sermons and discourses to spread the message,” he explained.
Deepdaan events on the Yamuna banks during the sacred Kartik month as per the Hindu calendar, from October 21 to November 19, would also be organised during cleaning of the ghats and the banks as part of this mission.