The water of the Merrimack River came alive last week during a Hindu purification ceremony called Tirtha Snan, or ritual bath.
The visit to the river at the Sewalls Falls Multi-Use Recreation Area on Tuesday marked the start of an eight-day event of meditation and prayer to honor the ancestors of the Adhikari family of Concord.
It’s a special, rare religious ceremony that families hold just once every few generations, and Surya Adhikari has been planning it for years. The last time Adhikari’s family performed the ceremony was before he was born, he said.
More than a dozen family members and multiple spiritual leaders walked through the woods to the river’s edge wearing brightly colored coverings. They splashed water over themselves as they quietly prayed and exchanged blessings for more than an hour before returning home for more reflection.
The family continued to host relatives from around the country in their home throughout the week and brought in five Hindu priests for the occasion, including renowned religious leaders from Pennsylvania and Ohio, to perform the rituals.
Adhikari said any neighbors who are curious about what’s going on are welcome to stop by his South End home and visit during the week the event is going on. Although he will be preoccupied with meditation, he said there will be others on hand to welcome English-speaking visitors. The Monitor featured the ceremony when it was in its planning stages in July.