Garhwa: A Sarvapitri Dev Tarpan Mahayajna was organised at the Shiva Temple in Bind Tola, Chhatarpur village, Garhwa, on Sarvapitri Amavasya, combining ancestral rituals with a message of river conservation.
Conducted by Yajnacharya Vipin Tiwari, the ceremony began with Matrika Vandana, chanting of the Ram Tarak Mantra and devotional prayers. Devotees subsequently performed Sarvapitri Tarpan in the Darano River, praying for the peace and liberation of their ancestors.
Addressing the gathering, Tiwari explained the significance of Pitr Rin and Tarpan before narrating the traditional story of King Bhagirath’s penance and the descent of the Ganga. Expressing concern over river pollution caused by sewage, plastic waste and industrial effluents, he urged people to translate religious reverence into concrete efforts to protect rivers.
Invoking “Bhagirath Chetna”, he called for collective action to preserve the cleanliness, natural flow and ecological integrity of the Ganga and its tributaries, describing river conservation as a responsibility towards ancestors and future generations.
Actor Divya Prakash Shukla, who came from Kashi and served as the central yajman of the Satkarm Yajna, offered prayers to Lord Ram and sought forgiveness from Mother Ganga on behalf of humanity. Havan, aarti and devotional offerings dedicated to deities, ancestors and rivers followed the discourse.
As part of the environmental initiative, Paryavaran Parivar planted five sacred trees—Shami, Parijat, Banyan, Bel and Amla—on the temple premises. Members of the organising committee also cleaned before mahaprasad was distributed among devotees and villagers.
The programme was organised by the Chhatarpur Yajman Committee and local residents under the guidance of Tiwari. Uma Pandey, Mahendra Das, Krishna Rajan, Manoj Sinha, Dhruv Pal, Sujit Baksaray, Mahesh Ranjan, Manish Ranjan, Arvind Jaiswal, Om Prakash Gupta, Pawan Bind, Siddharth Rishi and Mrityunjay Chaubey were among those present, along with a large number of villagers.