Celebrating Culture: 2022 Aarti Hindu Lamp Ceremony
In Hindu tradition and India, the river is revered as the Mother that nurtures and sustains life. A lit lamp holds a great significance in Hindu tradition as it signifies life. Thus, both lit lamp and river symbolize life. A lighting of lamp also signifies burning of negative tendencies to purify our hearts. We come together at the East River to make prayers and pay our respects to loved ones. The participants connect with the mother river by placing hand decorated palm leaf lamps in the river. All materials are provided are biodegradable. The lamps are decorated with traditional ceremony colors made from dried flowers and roots. The cotton wicks and dipped in ghee butter. The BBP provides us with kayakers to collect back all the lamps from the river in the end. Aarti Team strives to respect mother river, respect community, respect needs of organizations and city authorities.
Photo by Erik Almeida & Joseph Baldwin