No ‘Ganga Aarti’ without permission now

Social organisations and even individuals, performing ‘Ganga Aarti’ at various ghats will now have to get registered with the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC). The decision has been taken by the district administration to check encroachments on the riverfront, which is a public property.

The municipal authorities have also been asked to prepare the records of the ‘Ganga Aarti’.

District magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma has asked the municipal authorities to prepare the records of the Ganga aarti and complete the registration process by March-end.

Thereafter, no such activities would be allowed on the ghats without the registration and prior permission of the VMC.

“The riverfront is a public property owned by the state government and being looked after by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation,” said the district magistrate in a letter to VMC.

“It has been noticed that quite often that some people indulge in disputes over holding Ganga Aarti. The municipal corporation should make a specific regulation for organising the Ganga Aarti along the ghats. The VMC should register the aarti organisers with the allotment of space, which should be renewed every year. Besides, it should also be ensured that no aarti is organised by any individual or organisation without the VMC’s permission,” he said.

The VMC has also been directed to nominate a nodal officer to look after the whole process.