Ganga Aarti can continue at Triveni Ghat, says HC, calls It a ‘Cultural and Civilisational Heritage’

On Friday, while allowing continuity of a centuries-old ritual amid a municipal clampdown, the Uttarakhand High Court permitted the Shri Ganga Sabha to continue performing the Ganga aarti at Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh, staying an order of the Rishikesh Municipal Corporation that had sought to halt the ritual over registration-related objections and alleged commercial practices.

The case arose after the municipal corporation passed a proposal restraining the Shri Ganga Sabha from conducting the Ganga aarti, contending that the organisation’s registration had expired, thereby extinguishing its legal entitlement to perform the ritual. The corporation also levelled allegations of commercial exploitation and littering at the ghat. Challenging the restraint, the sabha approached the High Court, arguing that an abrupt stoppage of a long-standing public ritual would disrupt religious practice and inconvenience pilgrims and tourists who congregate daily at Triveni Ghat.

The vacation Bench of Justice Ashish Nainthani held that the Ganga aarti is “not merely a religious ritual but an ancient cultural and civilisational heritage of the Indian subcontinent,” observing that its sudden discontinuance, without an alternative arrangement, would not serve public interest. While noting that the sabha’s registration had indeed expired and that it held no permanent right to perform the aarti, the Court found it appropriate to permit the ritual to continue as an interim measure.

The municipal order restraining the sabha was stayed until the next date of hearing, subject to strict conditions, including a complete prohibition on charging entry fees, collecting money from devotees, or taking commission or rent from local shopkeepers without municipal permission. The Court further placed the onus of cleanliness entirely on the sabha, directing proper disposal of ritual remnants to prevent river pollution.

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