Co-Founder, Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA)

Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji’s motto in life is, “In the Service of God and humanity.” He left his home for the Himalayan jungles and forests in early childhood, in order to live a life devoted to God and in the service of humanity.  He spent his youth in silence, meditation, yoga and austerity. Today, he is world renowned as a spiritual leader, visionary and divine guide. Pujya Swamiji is President of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, India, one of the largest interfaith spiritual institutions in India. He is co-founder of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA), an international alliance of interfaith leaders working for water, sanitation and hygiene launched at UNICEF headquarters in New York.  GIWA has been catalyzing awareness and action toward improved WASH through harnessing and re-channeling the strength and impact of faith leaders, as well as building bridges between leaders of different religions for interreligious dialouge and peace-building. . Pujya Swamiji is also Founder of Ganga Action Parivar which is leading the way in the massive Clean Ganga Movement, Divine Shakti Foundation, dedicated to education, youth welfare, women’s upliftment and empowerment, health care, and rural development, and India Heritage Research Foundation (IHRF) which compiled and published the historic, monumental first-ever 11-volume Encyclopedia of Hinduism as well as ashrams/rest-houses in the sacred land of Mansarovar and Mt. Kailash in Tibet. Pujya Swamiji's religion is unity, and he is a leader and featured speaker in numerous international, inter-faith summits and parliaments including the United Nations, Parliament of Religions, World Bank, World Economic Forum, Religions for Peace, and more. Biography data as at 22.3.18