Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall tonight took part in a solemn ceremony of thanks with Hindus on the banks of the River Ganges.
In the holy Hindu city of Rishikesh, the prince led his wife by the hand to the banks of the sacred river where they joined Hindu worshippers conducting the Aarti ceremony.
It is performed by devotees every sunset who wave oil lamps burning ghee - a symbolic thank you to God for lighting the world.
Giving thanks: Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall take part in a Hindu ritual at Parmarth Niketan Ashram on the banks of the River Ganges in Rishikesh
In the holy city of Rishikesh, the prince led his wife by the hand to the banks of the sacred river where they joined Hindu worshippers conducting the Aarti ceremony
The couple were welcomed by the Hindu guru Swami Chidanand and his leading disciple Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, both dressed in orange robes, who draped a garland of marigold blooms around their necks and strings of beads.
With the foothills of the Himalayans looming in the distance, Charles told gathered trainee priests and their leaders: 'It's a particular joy to join you here on the banks of the Ganges this evening because it is, above all else, my first visit to the Ganges and so from that point of view it is a very special occasion for both myself and my wife.
'But we also wanted just to stress how deeply we felt for all those people who suffered so dreadfully as a result of the awful floods in June - our thoughts and prayers were so much with those families who have had to suffer the appalling catastrophe.'
The devastating floods are estimated to have killed 5,500 people with many deaths in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, the first stop on Charles and Camilla's tour, and forced tens of thousands to be evacuated during the summer.
Charles asks about the ritual that he has just performed: The water blessing ceremony involved pouring water taken from the Ganges back to its source
Isn't this lovely, dear? Devotees draped a garland of marigold blooms around the4 royal couple's necks and adorned them with strings of beads
The guru has been involved in a project to help eradicate pollution in the Ganges, gathering together scientists, engineers and activists to help clean the waters and riverbanks.
Charles went on to praise the Swami for his 'deep understanding of working in harmony with nature'.
The heir to the throne added: 'It seems to me the key to our future is to rediscover our connections with nature, for too long we seem to have ignored the services that nature provides us.'
The prince told how the birth of his grandson Prince George, in July, had given him a reason to redouble his efforts on working to help preserve the planet.
'And now that I've just recently become a grandfather, I think it means even more when you have a grandchild to think of their future and all the futures of other grandchildren around the world, we owe them I think something a great deal better for their futures as well.'
The royal couple was given small Aarti lamps and joined other participants in circling them clockwise in a ritual designed to give thanks for the light of the day
Solemn: During the Aarti ritual the royal couple held a four tiered brass lamp and waved it in circles to thank God for the light which he has provided throughout the day
Warm welcome: Surrounded by students from the local ashram, the Prince and Duchess took part in the traditional ceremony on the bank of the Ganges
Charles and Camilla arrived in India today at the start of a nine-day tour designed to strengthen ties between the Commonwealth nation and the UK.
The royal couple were met at Jolly Grand airport in Derhadun by the British High Commissioner to India, Sir James David Bevan, before heading to the banks of the River Ganges where they took off their shoes for the traditional Aarti sunset ceremony.
The Duchess of Cornwall wore a turquoise tunic and she and her husband each wore poppies for the Hindu ceremony in the holy city of Rishikesh, which marked the start of their third, and most extensive, tour of India as a married couple.
The couple travelled by boat across the fast flowing pale green waters of the Ganges to the Gita Bhavan landing stage near the Parmarth Ganga Ghat, where they were greeted by officials from the nearby Parmarth Niketan ashram.
They were then led by a number of Rishikumars - young boys in colourful yellow robes who live and study at the ashram - to where they could remove their shoes in private before the daily ritual, in which lamps are lit and devotional songs sung, began.
It is the couple's third official tour to India since they married in 2005, and will also be their most extensive, seeing them travel the length and breadth of the country
The prince takes the mic: He told how the birth of his grandson Prince George had given him a reason to redouble his efforts on working to help preserve the planet
The Prince and Duchess were then escorted by Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj down to the river bank to observe the havan ceremony in which prayers were offered to a sacred fire.
An offering of herbs, seeds and petals was made to the fire by the royal couple for world peace and environmental preservation as ancient Verdic prayers were said.
A water blessing ceremony followed with water from the Ganges poured back to its source by Charles and Camilla who then observed two minutes silence for the victims of the flood.
During the Aarti ritual the royal couple held a four tiered brass lamp and waved it in circles as the duchess smiled then shared a joke with her husband.
The essence of the Aarti ceremony is to thank God for the light which he has provided throughout the day. In thanking God for the light of the sun and the light of life, the idea is to offer back the light of thanks, the light of love and the light of devotion.
Their Royal Highnesses were then presented with shawls, a sacred rudraksh sapling, and a small container of holy water from the Ganges, before they sat on the steps and listened to traditional songs.
The Duchess of Cornwall wore a turquoise tunic and white flowing trousers while her husband wore a grey suit for the first day of their Indian tour
When the Beatles stayed at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, on the outskirts of Rishikesh, they wrote many of the songs for their famous white album.
They are likely to have seen a similar event to the Aarti ceremony according to the Swami's chief disciple.
'They almost definitely would have witnessed the fire ceremony, it's one of the most traditional ceremonies in the Hindu tradition,' she said.
Hinduism is the majority religion in India, with some six hundred million Hindus currently living in the country. There is also a Hindu majority within the British Indian population.
The Prince, who has a strong interest in religious understanding between faiths, makes regular visits to major faith communities both in the UK and overseas.
Charles and Camilla will travel the length and breadth of India to experience its diverse people and cultures, celebrate the achievements of leading individuals and highlight the work of some of the heir to the throne's own organisations.
The duchess will also be carrying out a number of solo engagements focusing on her interests of literacy, osteoporosis and equestrianism.
Sacred sapling: The British visitors appeared to enjoy their sunset trip to the banks of the River Ganges - their third official trip to India as a couple
Enjoying themselves: The Prince of Wales, who was covered in garlands at the ritual, has a particular interest in inter-faith understanding and religious tolerance
The Aarti ceremony is performed every day, regardless of weather conditions, and participants hold small lamps and sing religious songs
The prince turns 65 during his autumn tour and will celebrate the milestone the day before he hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) on behalf of the Queen in Sri Lanka.
The heir to the throne will be convening his first Chogm which faces a number of challenging issues, from those concerned about Sri Lanka's alleged human rights abuses to the recent withdrawal of the Gambia from the 'family of nations' who denounced it as a 'neo-colonial institution'.
In a speech made at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad in 2000, titled The Commonwealth In The New Millennium, the prince described the uniqueness and relevance of the Commonwealth.
He said: 'I have long had an instinctive sense of the value of the Commonwealth. It encourages and celebrates cultural diversity and makes no attempt to homogenise.'
The prince added: 'For me, the Commonwealth is something rather special and worth cherishing.
'It is as old as I am, and so has been present throughout my life, as something to which the Queen and other members of my family attach great value.'
How do you do? Charles chats with Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj after the ritual
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