Haridwar Celebrates Ganga Utsav 2024 by the River
Chandi Ghat in Haridwar hosted the eighth Ganga Utsav with vibrant folk arts, puppet shows, and a daring 50-day women's river rafting expedition.
Chandi Ghat in Haridwar came alive with dazzling colours, joyful music, and riverbank excitement on 4 November 2024. Thousands of families and young people gathered to celebrate Ganga Utsav 2024, an annual heritage festival honouring India’s beloved National River. For the very first time since the festival was established, the central celebrations were staged directly on the riverbank beside the flowing water.
The colourful celebration was organised by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), working under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Along with over 10,000 on-site visitors who explored the festival grounds in Uttarakhand, celebrations took place across 139 districts throughout the wider Ganga basin. It was an exciting day where traditional art, creative storytelling, and daring river adventures joined hands to celebrate our waterways.
What happened?
The festival grounds offered a feast for the eyes and ears. Stages along the river featured live music, dance routines, and energetic folk performances that had the crowds clapping along. Leaders including Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil, Minister of State Raj Bhushan Chaudhary, and Uttarakhand Minister for Women & Child Welfare Rekha Arya inaugurated the grand event. Ministry Secretary Debashree Mukherjee and popular actor Ashutosh Rana also joined special dialogue sessions called Ganga Samvad to share ideas on cultural heritage and spiritual well-being.
Visiting children enjoyed plenty of hands-on creative activities throughout the day. Young participants showed off their imagination in river-themed art contests and tested their knowledge in interactive quizzes. Street plays and traditional puppet shows brought important messages about nature to life in a fun and entertaining way.
Visitors could also stroll through a lively open-air marketplace called Ghat Par Haat. This buzzing bazaar showcased unique handmade crafts made by local artisans, mouth-watering traditional food stalls, and informative public awareness displays about water conservation.
A major highlight of the day was the ceremonial flag-off of the Ganga Women Rafting Expedition, launched in partnership with the Border Security Force (BSF). This brave all-women team began an adventurous 50-day journey down the river. Their expedition will take them through nine major cities and towns before finally concluding at Ganga Sagar in West Bengal.
Why does it matter to you?
Rivers are far more than just sources of fresh water; they have inspired Indian stories, folk songs, and paintings for thousands of years. When you watch a lively puppet show or an energetic street play about clean water, you realise that creativity is a powerful tool to protect our planet.
Festivals like this prove that caring for nature does not have to be dull. By celebrating our natural world through music, drawing, and storytelling, boys and girls across India can discover fun ways to care for their local rivers, lakes, and streams.
Words to know
- Ghat: A wide flight of steps leading down to the edge of a river.
- Artisanal: Made carefully by hand using traditional craft skills rather than machines.
- Basin: The entire region of land drained by a main river and all its smaller streams.
- Expedition: A well-planned and adventurous journey organised for a specific purpose.
Did you know?
The Ganga was officially declared India’s National River in November 2008, and the Ganga Utsav festival takes place every year to commemorate that historic milestone!
Think about it
If you were asked to put on a colourful puppet show about keeping rivers clean, what kind of characters and songs would you create to tell your story?
Quick quiz
Where were the central celebrations of Ganga Utsav 2024 held directly on the riverbank for the first time?
- Chandi Ghat in Haridwar
- Ganga Sagar in West Bengal
- India Gate in New Delhi
See the answer
Chandi Ghat in Haridwar
Sources
This story was prepared by the Kids Gazette news desk with the help of AI research and writing tools, using the sources listed above.
