Latest News

May 31 2015

Inauguration of Divine Shakti Foundation’s New Brightland School

Brightland International School, which was completely destroyed in the floods of 2013, has been rebuilt by Divine Shakti Foundation and Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, led, guided, blessed and inspired by Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji. The new, eco-friendly campus was inaugurated on the 31st May by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Harish Rawatji, Hon’ble Minister of Drinking Water and Education, Uttarakhand, Shri Mantri Prasad Naithaniji, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, Uttarakhand, Shri Harak Singh Rawatji with Pujya Swamiji and other dignitaries and guests. The newly-rebuilt school will serve hundreds of children within its...

Share Post
May 18 2015

Reception with GIWA and other water and sanitation partners

HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, Co-Chair of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA), and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Secretary General of GIWA, as well as many other respected faith, business and NGO leaders, including esteemed representatives of UNICEF, participated in a reception hosted by U.S. Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, at his official residence within the US Embassy this Tuesday. The event explored potential areas for collaboration between GIWA and USAID to support the Government of India’s (GOI) Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, with a special focus on behavior change to...

Share Post
Apr 12 2015

Pujya Swamiji and Sadhvi Bhagawatiji Meet with President of South Africa, Mr. Jacob Zuma

GIWA Co-Founder, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Secretary General, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati met South Africa's President, His Excellency, Mr. Jacob Zuma, at a private meeting yesterday, at the Johannesburg home of Shri Ajay Guptaji. During the meeting, they discussed the mission of GIWA and the importance of WASH for everyone, everywhere. The meeting ended on a warm note, with the President's pledge to arrange for meetings with his Cabinet ministers upon their return to South Africa....

Share Post
Apr 09 2015

Pujya Swamiji and Sadhvi Bhagawatiji Meets with Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Smt. Smriti Irani

Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati met with Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Smt. Smriti Iraniji in Delhi. Together they discussed a number of projects, including the inauguration of the Brightland International School in Chandrapuri, Rudraprayag, a school that had been washed away completely in the floods and rebuilt by Divine Shakti Foundation and Ganga Action Parivar in a new location for 200 schoolchildren, as well as 11 other school projects being undertaken. They also discussed the “green” activities and efforts that are being done undertaken, such as...

Share Post
Mar 28 2015

National Editors Meet for Global Interfaith WASH Alliance

A National Meeting to inspire editors and eminent journalists from all across India to prioritize and raise awareness on Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan (Clean India Mission) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) was held in Delhi on the 28th March, organized by UNICEF, Global Interfaith WASH Alliance and Samyak Foundation. Tragic statistics on how critical and dire the sanitation situation is in India were shared. Emphasis was laid on how India leads the world in the number of people who lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. India, sadly, also leads the world...

Share Post
Mar 22 2015

World Water Day 2015

Uplift, Unify the Shift Network and Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA) came together for a World Water Day celebration at Parmarth Niketan Ashram (Rishikesh, India) that started with a beautiful live Ganga Aarti ceremony on the banks of Ganga on the 22nd March and then connected over 300 locations all over the world to celebrating, honouring and loving water with a sacred yagna/havan and Water Blessing Ceremony webcast live on the 23rd morning at sunrise. Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji gave a beautiful introduction to the celebrations by sharing, "Today, is a beautiful...

Share Post
Mar 01 2015

Inauguration of the International Yoga Festival 2015

Inauguration of the International Yoga Festival 2015 Today, the 16th annual world famous International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan ashram 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 approximately 1000 participants from more than 55 countries. There are classes from 4:00 am until 9:30 pm with more than 60 revered saints, yogacharyas,...

Share Post
Feb 14 2015

Make Ganga Your Green Valentine Everyday

As people around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day this week with gifts of chocolate and roses, as symbols of their love and devotion, it is the perfect time, as Pujya Swamiji reminds us, year after year, to renew our commitment to our Mother Ganga and Mother Nature, which provide unconditionally to all. Children all over the world will make Valentine's Day cards for their mothers. Pujya Swamiji inspires us that here in India, every day, not only February 14, should be an opportunity to show love and devotion to our...

Share Post
Feb 07 2015

Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS)

15th Annual Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) organized by The Energy Research Institute (TERI), under the able leadership of Nobel Laureate Dr. RK Pachauri, Director General of TERI, held at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi from the 5-7th February, 2015 brought together a galaxy of speakers from diverse sectors. This is the first time in previous fourteen years that the Valedictory Session of this vital summit was graced by interfaith leaders. The theme of the concluding session was ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam,” the world is one world family. Previously, last year when...

Share Post
Jan 25 2015

Conclave of Bishops Discuss WASH and Climate Change in Kerala

Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji renowned archbishops and bishops in a pledge to take care of our water bodies, to keep them clean and protect them, and also to work for sanitation and hygiene, during the International Conference on Climate Change and the Developing World at the CMS College in Kerala, sponsored by UGC and organized in association with the Church of South India Synod and Nilackal Ecological Commission. The conference was also attended by UNICEF India. Pujya Swamiji emphasized that we have built enough churches and enough temples...

Share Post