Varanasi: The organisers of the world-famous Ganga Aarti at the ghats along the Ganga in Varanasi have resolved that the replication of the well-choreographed the aarti will not be performed during marriage functions or other events. They have asked event management companies to avoid including this auspicious ritual as an event in any function.
After a joint meeting of the Shri Dev Deepawali Aarti Mahasamiti and Dev Deepawali committees on Sunday evening, the Ganga Seva Nidhi president Sushant Mishra and Kendriya Dev Deepawali Committee's Vagish Dutt Mishra and Deepak Dubey said that the participants have unanimously decided that no Ganga Aarti should be performed at wedding ceremonies as it is exclusively for worshipping Goddess Ganga and not an event of entertainment.
They said that performing Ganga Aarti at weddings or other events should be termed as a religious offence. To seek the cooperation of the govt in this regard, the committees will send a memorandum to the religious affairs department. The committees joined hands to raise their voices after many event management companies and individuals started including Ganga Aarti as one of the events in weddings and other parties for monetary gains. They demanded a complete ban on such practices.
They also demanded the govt to initiate action against the fraudsters who have started fake online registrations in the name of booking tickets for participation in the Ganga Aarti, as no amount is charged by any committee for participation, sitting at ghat steps, or viewing the Ganga Aarti from anywhere. They also sought action on the practices of some people selling lighting lamps in the name of the Ganga Aarti.They said that before the Dev Deepawali event, necessary tasks like cleaning, lighting arrangements, and repairs should be completed at all ghats and also other water bodies, including historical ponds. They appealed to the people who repair boats at the ghats to immediately remove broken and dilapidated boats from there.