my trip to maryland for Maha Yagya and a conversation

I was invited by Mahesh to attend a Maha Yagya hosted by his family in Maryland.This Maha yagya honors deity Shiva (Maha Rudra Yagaya).Simultaneous havan ritual (Prayers by reciting mantra and putting samigri (mostly edible food items,like grains, seeds ,dried fruits and ghee/clearified butter)in fire is performed .This prayer takes about one hour and thirty minutes.Several thousands of prayers will be performed in three days . Eleven Havan kunds (ritualistic Fire Pits)will be lit and Yagyas to be performed simultaneously and each prayer will be counted as a separate prayer.



Will try to post some pictures and details separately



I really had good time chatting with Saijal as we travelled together from Providence.She has become quite a mature,sensible and energetic young woman.She is speech therapist in school system. She deals with many handicapped children.Many of her pupil are autistic.She told me one in one hundred sixty six child is autistic. That is quite a large number.She also told me that autism is not hereditary and it afflicts all races.


It is an idiopatic ailment,means does effect all people randomly .

MAHA RUDRA YAGYA;What a beautiful production it was .About 50 pojaris(Hindu preachers performing rituals).Poojaris have to be family people .Monks and ascetics normally do not perform this type of rituals. Three to four priests were doing the work at each prayer station(kund).Keeping the wood fire lit ,reciting the mantras(sanskrit hymns),telling and guiding the hosts and other participants about each step in the ritual while their could be hundred of steps and thousands of mantras recited in each 8 to 10 hour prayer(Yagaya) day.These are quite elaborate rituals .Just the simple act of bathing the deity(god incarnate). can take more than an hour .The yagya has a lunch break so they may replenish the energy to do the second part some people fast for the event.

Fires in the kund are kept lit day and night till the final prayers on the third day.

Deity is washed with purest of water with proper representation that goddesses are not watched whille giving them bath.Then they use sandal wood,milk, ghee, perfume and these rituals are performed with the care and love you will provide a precious little baby.

One thing one becomes aware of is complex bathing rituals and procedures which would be envy of the best spa in the world.