Latest News

Mar 01 2016

Inauguration of IYF 2016

#IYF2016 Today annual world famous International Yoga Festival, jointly organized by Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, GMVN and Parmarth Niketan, at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh officially began. Since 1999, Parmarth Niketan has been hosting this world renowned event which has grown to international acclaim and which grows in size year after year. Yogacharyas, teachers, students and seekers come from every corner of the globe to participate in this program. This year there are more than 1000 participants from more than 70 countries. There are classes from 4:00 am until 9:30 pm with more...

Share Post
Dec 17 2015

Model Green Village of Veerpur Gets Started

Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (of which Sadhviji is Secretary-General) and Ganga Action Parivar, under the leadership and inspiration of Pujya Swamiji, are working to transform the village of Veerpur into a model defecation-free village, and a clean and green example to India and to the world. By involving and inspiring all members of the community, including youth and local leaders from all castes and creeds to work together in a massive clean up and tree plantation, the villagers are enthusiastically supporting these efforts. They are working to construct toilets in households...

Share Post
Dec 15 2015

Enhancing Service Delivery to the Underserved

A “Social Enterprise Innovations Seminar - Enhancing Service Delivery to the Underserved” was hosted by the Federation of India Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), under the auspices of National Institute for Transforming India Aayog (NITI Aayog), with the World Bank Group as knowledge partner. Participants and speakers included Ms. Isabel Guerrero, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy for the Harvard Kennedy School and former Vice President of the World Bank Southeast Asia; Dr. A Didar Singh, Secretary General FICCI; Shri Nirankar Saxena, Senior Director of FICCI; and Mr. Michael Haney,...

Share Post
Nov 25 2015

United States Ambassador Lays First Bricks for Girls’ Bio-Toilets

Says HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, “Students Will Become Sanitation Ambassadors” East met West recently as United States Ambassador to India, Shri Richard Verma, laid the first bricks for a new girls’ bio-toilet structure, being built by Global Interfaith WASH Alliance and Divine Shakti Foundation, Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh. The Honourable Ambassador, his wife, Ms. Pinky Verma, and children joined HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati, the Co-Chair/Co-Founder of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA) and President of Parmarth Niketan and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Secretary General GIWA and President of the Divine Shakti...

Share Post
Nov 22 2015

Shared Value Summit in Delhi

A unique Shared Value Summit was held to discuss business models that can make a difference to the world. An annual event organized by the Institute for Competitiveness, India, the Indian link in the global network of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at the Harvard Business School, it brings together the foremost thinkers, leaders and shared value practitioners to discuss, deliberate and formulate action strategies of how economic progress can be made along with the greatest social impact. Summit keynotes and plenary sessions discussed the role of shared values...

Share Post
Nov 19 2015

GIWA Celebrates UN World Toilet Day 2015

Under Dettol Banega Swach India (BSI), The World Toilet Organization, The Global Interfaith WASH Alliance and Pehel-The Initiative of Dainik Jagran joined forces today to celebrate United Nations World Toilet Day. According to the United Nations, “The aim of World Toilet Day is to raise awareness about the people in the world who don’t have access to a toilet, despite the fact that it is a human right to have clean water and sanitation.” Worldwide, some 2.4 billion people—or close to one-third of the global population—doesn’t have access to improved sanitation,...

Share Post
Nov 18 2015

Prayer for Paris and Pledge for World Peace

Saints, pilgrims, devotees and yogis from all across India and across the world joined together to pray and pledge for world peace and for all of humanity, in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, the violence in Beirut and the refugee crisis across Europe. Led by Pujya Swamiji and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, a sacred prayer with burning earthen oil lamps was held for peace, light and universal sisterhood/brotherhood. The participants were inspired to commit and pledge to cohesive action so that they can become beacons of light and...

Share Post
Nov 14 2015

National Children’s Day: Shaping a Green Future

National Children’s Day (14 November), jointly organized by Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh) and Planetskool, brought together our global family with the local school children as one team with one theme: to raise awareness on the crucial and critical need to protect our planet. School children from Divya Prem Sewa, Vidya Bharti students and Parmarth Niketan Gurukul students performed thought-provoking pieces on Swachh Bharat and Namami Gange. Internationally acclaimed Estonian band, BomBillaz, performed the “Planetskool” theme song along with other riveting numbers that fused Indian classical mantras with reggae. Famous child performer, Balshree Awardee...

Share Post
Nov 07 2015

First Indo China Yoga Festival at Parmarth Begins

The first ever Indo-China International Yoga Festival in India, took place on the holy banks of Mother Ganga in Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh), with participants from 31 nations. The festival ran from the 5th through the 9th November with the first 2 days in Jageshwar Dham, organized and run jointly by the Government of Uttarakhand and Parmarth Niketan, and the second 3 days at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh. See the updates from the Jageshwar Yoga Festival, here. It was inaugurated by Pujya Swamiji, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture Shri Harak Singh Rawatji, Shri Rajeev Swaroop,...

Share Post
Nov 06 2015

Celebrating the First Historic Jageshwar International Yoga Festival

The first ever, two day Jageshwar International Yoga Festival was held on November 5 and 6, jointly organized by the Government of Uttarakhand, KMVN and Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh). Parmarth Niketan Ashram is well known for organizing and hosting the world famous annual International Yoga Festival, from March 1-7 each year, attracting hundreds of Yogis from across India and across the world, which is now in its 17th year. Together with the department of Tourism, Government of Uttarakhand, it was decided that the inspiration and transformation of Parmarth’s International Yoga Festival...

Share Post