Traditional Four-Day
Vedic Ceremony
"Gayatri Maha Yagya"
performed in Fairfield,
Iowa, Sept. 16th to 19th

(Scroll down for photos.)

For the first time in the USA, the ancient and rarely performed Gayatri Maha Yagya took place in a specially constructed Sthapatya Vedic "Yagya Shala" in Fairfield for four days beginning September 16th .

Over 150 people participated during the four days, with over 70 acting as sponsors of the Yagya. Perfect weather graced both the building phase and the four-day performance of the Yagya. To the delight of all, a sprinkling of rain drops fell from the sky during the final offerings of the Purnahuti.

"The Gayatri Maha Yagya is one of the most ancient and powerful of the Vedic Yagyas. It is performed to gain the blessings of Mother Divine for the individual and for the whole world and is considered a ‘Vishva Shanti Yagya’ – a Yagya for Universal Peace" explains Vedic Pundit Dhruv Narain Sharma, organizer of the Yagya. "This is the first time such an elaborate Vedic Yagya has been performed in Fairfield and to my knowledge, the first time ever that the Gayatri Maha Yagya was performed in the USA."

This elaborate traditional four-day Vedic Yagya to Mother Divine had as its purpose the increase of enlightenment, knowledge, peace and prosperity as well as the removal of negativity and neutralization of adverse planetary influence.

"Mother Divine organised the whole thing" explained Pandit Sharma. "In just two weeks all the preparations went without a hitch, from building the Yagya Shala from scratch to preparing the ingredients and organising the volunteers. I have been involved in many large-scale Yagyas and this one went more smoothly than any I have experienced before."

Unlike many Vedic Ceremonies that can be performed in a home, the Gayatri Maha Yagya took place in a specially-built structure called a "Yagya Shala." constructed according to strict Sthapatya Vedic rules in a field near Fairfield.

The site for the Yagya Shala was 24 feet by 24 feet, the equivalent of the Vedic measurment of 16 hands by 16 hands, measured from elbow to fingertips. Sixteen poles supported a double roof of thatch – the second roof in the center was raised, as it is in many Sthapathya Vedic buildings. No nails were used in the construction. A Yagya Kunda (ceremonial fireplace) was located in the center.

Construction of the Yagya Shala started only two weeks before the Yagya, on Wednesday Sept. 8th with a special Bhoomi Puja and commencement ceremony. Several dozen volunteers helped with building and other preparations for the Yagya, including making garlands, sweets and preparing a delicious vegetarian lunch for over 60 people each day.

Over 27 hours of traditional Vedic recitations and complex pujas and homas (fire ceremonies) were performed over the four day period of the Gayatri Maha Yagya by Pandit Sharma. A total of eleven cycles of Gayatri Homa, each with 108 offerings of Gayatri Mantra, were performed. Many people, including several young children enjoyed participating in the Parikarma (circumambulation of the Yagya Shala) during the Yagya for as many as 108 circuits. Also as part of the Yagya the participants helped create five beautiful, intricately designed mandalas under Pandit Sharma’s supervision.

Photos from the
Gayatri Maha Yagya
held in September 1999

The Yagya Shala for the Gayatri Maha Yagya was constructed according to strict
Sthapathya-Vedic guidelines. It measured 24 feet by 24 feet and was constructed in
less than one week by a group of skilled and dedicated volunteers. The floor was
covered with clay and cow dung and no nails were used in the all-wooden
construction. A Yagya Kunda (ceremonial fireplace) was located in the center.





Pandit Sharma performing puja during the Gayatri
Maha Yagya at the Sarvatobhadra Mandala




Pandit D.N.Sharma officiated during the entire four-day Gayatri
MahaYagya and performed over 27 hours of pujas and homas.

 

The intricate Sarvatobhadra Mandala, the main Mandala within the Yagya Shala,
one of the five mandalas created out of colored rice for the Gayatri Maha Yagya.





The Chatuhshashti Yogini Mandala for the 64 Devis.





The Vastu Mandala for the Devatas of the land and structure.





The Kshetrapal Mandala for the Devatas of the entire
physical area surrounding the Yagya Shala.



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For more details on the Gayatri Maha Yagya click here.