Since 23 August 2002, water from the sacred river Narmada has been flowing in the Sabarmati River in Amdavad.
It was the sincere wish of The Chief Minister of Gujarat, to offer worship to the sacred water and river at the hands of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Thus this Vedic worship ceremony was organized. Announcements in the newspapers and on TV invited the citizens of Amdavad to this historic occasion.
A large stage was erected on Vivekanand Bridge (Ellis Bridge) and loud-speakers were also placed on the other four bridges which span the Sabarmati.
Thousands of people packed every vantage point to witness this memorable event.
At 7.00 p.m. Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the Chief Minister, other ministers and dignitaries set out on a motor-powered boat from the shores of the river under Vivekanand Bridge. Over a hundred thousand lighted wicks illuminated the water surface as the sun set in the background.
In the middle of the river, Vedic rituals to the accompaniment of Vedic verses were performed aboard the boat by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the Chief Minister and others and offered to Shri Harikrishna Maharaj and the sacred water.
The ceremony was relayed live to giant screens set up on the bridge and on the local TV channels.
Then Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the Chief Minister and others offered arti and abhishek to the murti of Shri Harikrishna Maharaj with sacred water from the river.
After the Vedic worship ceremony, Pramukh Swami Maharaj delivered his blessings to the people from the boat. He said, "Today, everybody is rejoicing that the Sabarmati is flowing with water from the Narmada. It is the result of persistent efforts through the years by many people. Politicians, social workers and religious organizations have all contributed their efforts to this Narmada project. This project will benefit not only Gujarat but the whole of India, since Gujarat is an integral part of the country. Let us all continue to pray for the completion this project. Our guru, Yogiji Maharaj, also used to offer worship to the Narmada whenever he passed over it and he regularly prayed for the completion of the project ..."
After Pramukh Swami Maharaj's blessings, the boat returned to shore.