Madikeri: Leaders under the banner of Akhila Bharatiya Sannyasi Sangha launched the 16th annual Cauvery Jagruthi Ratha Yatra at Talacauvery in Kodagu on Monday to raise awareness about preserving River Cauvery. Seers from across India offered prayers to Cauvery at Talacauvery and Bhagamandala, while special rituals were conducted on the riverbank at Kushalnagar.Cauvery Swachata Andolana members welcomed them to the district. The annual awareness procession, launched in 2010, follows Cauvery’s course from its source at Talacauvery to the sea near Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu. Seers will conduct awareness campaigns and ritual prayers along the riverbanks, highlighting the need to protect the river’s pristine beauty and ecosystem.Sadashiva Swami of Kiri Kodli Mutt, Akhila Bharata Sannyasi Sangha convener Ramananda Swami and Anantananda Giri of Akhanda Param Dham, Haridwar, were among those who attended the rituals. Speaking after the prayers at Talacauvery, Abhinava Gavisiddeshwara Swami of Koppal stressed the immediate need for environmental awareness and urged people to stop littering. The seers also participated in the 191 Hunnimme Maha Aarati, a monthly full-moon prayer ritual, on Cauvery’s banks at Kushalnagar.
