On March 3rd, a padayatra (sacred march) started from Allahabad to New Delhi to draw the Government`s and the public`s attention to the the issue of the pollution of the holy Yamuna River. With the participation of hundreds of sadhus from Vrindavana, Krishna-devotees, farmers and environmentalists, the procession is now reaching Mathura where they will hold a big press conference.

Muslim and Sikh leaders, as well as the Indian Farmers Union (the largest union in the world) have all joined the cause. The march will end in New Delhi in about two weeks with a demonstration where about 100,000 participants present.

One of the main organizers is Radhajivan Das, an Indian-origin ISKCON-devotee, residing in Alachua, Florida. On behalf of all the participants of the march, he is asking organizations outside India to join the cause, at least by sending supporting letters that could be presented to the Government of India. (Please contact: Radhajivana@gmail.com)

ISKCON Alachua, Florida has already joined the cause by issuing the following petition:

“We the members of the Hare Krishna Temple of ISKCON Alachua Florida who number 450 Vaishnava families from the USA and another 1000 families from the Indian diaspora, give our full support to those marching to New Delhi for bringing attention to the sad state of Sri Yamuna River. We humbly request all politicians and those in positions of power in Indian government to bring their full attention to this environmental and spiritual catastrophe, the intentional and accidental pollution of the sacred Yamuna River.

India is now being recognized around the world for the tremendous brainpower and technological understanding of its people. If the heads of government do not use this capability to provide clean and safe passage of the sacred river from high in the Himalayas straight through to the holy city of Vrindaban, it will be understood to be a real travesty of what is right and good.

As we hold these rivers that are put on this earth for the purification of all who bathe within to be holy and sacred, and we make pilgrimage to India just for this purpose, we are now daily praying that this ungodly polluting will cease and the government will do all within its powers to clean the rivers before their presence is lost to all.

Thank you to all who participate in this march to bring attention to this important cause.

In the service of Sri Krishna,

Mukhya devi dasi, President ISKCON Alachua