Using the ancient technology of Vedic Yagyas to solve modern day problems.

Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva Veda Yagyas concluding on Guru Poornima, July 24th

Greetings Yagya Friends, We are nearing the conclusion of our Veda Recitation Yagyas on Guru Poornima, Saturday, July 24th. Our priests are finishing the recitation of the four Vedas which is a monumental task! The Rig Veda alone has over 10,000 verses, so this is not an insignificant physical effort, not to mention all the years they spent learning the proper pronunciation and method of recitation. They chant for at least 5 hours every day during this ritual. I've included a few photos from the program in Kanchipuram. More photos and videos will follow next week from the programs in Kanchipuram, Pune, and Varanasi. In the meantime, please enjoy some photos from the Kanchipuram program. As always, thank you for supporting this significant event. It is not often, even in India, that all four Vedas are recited in their entirety. Together we've made something good happen. Thank you and best regards, Ben Collins

The day begins with our usual Ganesha puja followed by abishekam for all the main deities; Shiva, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Parvati, Durga, Saraswati, Annapurna, the nine planets and the 27 nakshatras.

The milk abishekam is followed by scented sandalwood which is a very soft scent and give a soothing feeling in the atmosphere.

Then flowers are offered along with mantra recitations.

After the deities are dried and decorated with sandalwood and kumkum, they are placed on the altar for more pujas including the offering of incense and light from burning camphor (aarti).

One unique aspect of this month's program is the daily Guru Paduka Abishekam. This ritual offers milk and sandalwood to the sandals (paduka) of the Guru. The feet of a Guru are considered to be especially powerful and this ritual works on many levels. We bow to the feet of the Guru as an act of humility that honors the tradition of gurus who have handed down spiritual knowledge from generation to generation.

There is an amusing saying in India that asks "Which is greater, the Guru or God?" and the answer is "the Guru because without a Guru to guide us we'd never find God". So we honor the Guru as essential to the pathway that leads to the Divine.

Then the priests begin the vedic recitations, divided up into groups of two for each of the Vedas being chanted; Rig, Sama, and Yajur Veda.

All of the priests stand together at the conclusion of the day to recite vedic blessings.

As the priests say at the end of every yagya; "Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu" May all beings everywhere enjoy peace, happiness and a life free from suffering