Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 16: Surya Putri Upasana Samiti (SPUS) has been constituted here, today with a mission of conducting daily Aarti and Puja rituals of the sacred Surya Putri river (Tawi) to fulfill the long standing aspirations of numerous religious and social organisations of the Jammu region.
This was stated at a press conference here, today, by Samiti Chairman, Chander Mohan Sharma. He said the distinguished individuals including Inderjeet Khajuria will be patron of the Samiti while he himself will be its Chairman and Jeeva Nand Sharma will be convener.
Sharma said the vision of the Samiti is to reinstate the cultural and religious sanctity of river Tawi also revered as the Surya Putri, daughter of the Sun God.
Sharma on behalf of the Samiti also expressed gratitude to Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha and his dedicated team of officers including Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Commissioner, Devansh Yadav, Director Tourism, Dr Vikas Gupta and Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Sachin Vaishya for their commendable initiative on organising Baisakhi celebrations at Tawi River Front which began with soul stirring Aarti of Surya Putri.
Sharma also commended the Shri Raghunath Bazar Market Association for their enthusiastic and devotional participation in the inaugural event.
Welcoming the efforts of JMC and Smart City Mission for the ongoing River Front development, and proposed Artificial Lake, Inderjit Khajuria patron of the Samiti said the Surya Putri Upasana Samiti represents an umbrella body uniting diverse segments of society including social, cultural, religious, tourism and socio-economic organisations.
He said the development of a designated Aarti Ghat and a rejuvenated river bank will not only restore religious traditions but will also enhance tourism and civic pride.
Chander Mohan Sharma said Tawi Andolan an NGO formed by them has been organising weekly Aartis of Surya Putri since 2013 without interruption, even during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Aartis were held every Sunday evening. These gatherings have attracted devotees, dignitaries and citizens of Jammu alike, he added.
Convener, Jeeva Nand Sharma raised critical environmental concerns urging the Government to immediately plug all 18 drains and filthy nallahs currently discharging untreated sewage into the Tawi river. “This sacred river holds immense religious significance for countless devotees across India. Its pollution not only hurts the sentiments of people but poses a risk to environment as well as health”, he added.
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