More than 500 enthusiastic volunteers from Isha came forward in maintaining the pristine environment of the sacred hills

Then Kailaya Bhakti Peravai in collaboration with the Forest Department, Tamil Nadu Government, has collected more than 1500 kg of plastic waste in the cleanliness drive carried out in one month on the sacred Velliangiri hills. More than 500 enthusiastic Isha volunteers from Tamil Nadu including, Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh came forward to ensure the pristine environment of the sacred hills.

The cleanliness drive was conducted every Sunday for a period of one month starting on May 7th and ending on June 5th, marking World Environment Day. Indian Army soldiers and many civilians also participated in the drive. The collected garbage was handed over to the Forest Department.

Sharing his experience, an Isha volunteer Manohar from Coimbatore who participated in this cleanliness drive said, “I keep coming to this hill every year as part of my Shivanga Sadhana and look at this sacred mountain as my own. For the past six years, I have been participating in the cleanliness drive conducted by Thenkailaya Bakti Peravai. We all come forward to this activity as we understand it’s our responsibility to hand this mountain in its pristine form to the future generation. It gives me a lot of happiness and fulfillment participating in it.”

“Coming from Chennai, this cleanliness drive offered me an experiential understanding of the need to protect the environment. Everyone who climbs this mountain should do so with a sense of responsibility for keeping it clean. I look forward to joining the activity again next year,” added Vijayabaskar, an Isha volunteer from Chennai.

Thenkailaya Bhakti Peravai has been at the forefront of organizing this cleanliness drive for the past ten years at the Velliangiri Hills, which attracts a large number of devotees due to its historical and spiritual significance. According to legends, it is believed that Lord Shiva himself meditated on these hills, earning the hills the name of ‘Southern Kailash’.