Using the ancient technology of Vedic Yagyas
to solve modern day problems.
Greetings Yagya Friends,

Our Navaratri yagyas are underway and looking as beautiful as you will see in this newsletter. The decorations are stunning with lots of flowers and all the traditional ingredients.

Good news...extra yagyas are being added! We have organized a large Lakshmi Yagya in a temple in Pune (near Mumbai). This is a perfect addition to the Navaratri program.

In addition, we will have a full-scale temple yagya for Saraswati in Kanchipuram. This will take place at the Saraswati temple that we (puja.net) donated on the grounds of a beautiful Durga temple. Due to the covid restrictions, this is the first opportunity we have had to have a big yagya for Saraswati. It is the fulfillment of a long-held goal!

Best of all, there is no charge. We are able to offer these additional yagyas because of the consistent level of support by our international Puja.net community. A big "thank you" to everyone because you make this happen!

Very best regards,
Ben Collins
The Navaratri Yagyas require a sizeable list of traditional ingredients. What you see above is for the first day Ganesha Yagya with large baskets of a special wood, mustard seeds, puffed rice, and black lotus seeds.
From the top left there are two plates of sweet modaka (Ganesha's favorite treat), puffed rice, and seeds. The second row, from the left, is fresh coconut, a powder made from lentils, bananas, and sugar cane.
Every day begins with the sankalpam, or statement of purpose in which the details of the yagya and its sponsors and participants are recited into the cosmic record.
Then the morning abishekam begins and there are three hours of vedic recitations and mantra repetitions taking place.
By the time they are done, the altar is covered with flowers and looks very festive.
After the abishekam, the priests light the yagya fire and make offerings of ghee, wood, puffed rice, mustard seed, etc. The photo above shows the final offering materials which are being poured into the fire as seen in the photo below.
The recitation of vedic blessings (ashirvadam) concludes the first part of the day's program.
The priests reconvene in the evening to recite the Saundarya Lahiri for the beautiful form of the goddess. At the same time other priests recite the 1000 names (mantras) of the goddess while an abishekam is being performed over a large copper yantra (a mystical diagram that represents the goddess).
Lakshmi is on the left, with Durga in the center and Saraswati on the right.
After 90 minutes of chanting is completed, flowers are offered on the yantra before it is cleaned and dried. Then it is decorated and placed on the altar.
All three goddesses are settled in among their flowers and new saris with the yantra in the background. That's the end of a good day...with eight more to go, the last of which will be especially festive.
English translation of the complete Chandi Path text.
(also known as Durga Saptashati or Devi Mahatmyam)

Complete MP3 recitation of Chandi Path;

Lalitha Sahasranam - 1000 names of the Divine Mother

PDF Text of Saundarya Lahiri is here in English and Sanskrit.