Starting the Yagya fire.
February 26, 2007
After many years of organizing, participating in, and performing yagyas, it was interesting to see that for the Shiva yagya which was performed at the start of the Shivaratri series, the yagya fire was started by entirely natural means. Nothing a little friction to generate heat!
By rotating the wood, embers are produced which are used to start a mixture of cotton fibers and coconut husks.
As the mixture catches fire it is then used to start the homam fire.
By adding a little ghee and camphor, soon the yagya fire is in full flame!
Food – an essential part of every yagya
February 22, 2007
In the vedic tradition, it is an essential part of every yagya that the sponsors feed the priests who perform the yagya. In our Kanchipuram location, we have a cook for the entire 10-14 day yagya series.
In the photo you can see additional food that was prepared to feed the poor as a part of our Shivaratri yagya sequence. This part of the yagya is caled Annadanum. We did this in both Varanasi (above) and Kanchipuram (where we fed 500 people).
Varanasi is the home of the Divine Mother in the form of Annapurna; the goddess of food. The story is that she made a deal with Shiva that if he would be responsible for the enlightenment of humanity, she would feed them.
So as a part of the yagya sequence, food is provided to anyone who wants or needs it. It is not only feeding the disadvantaged, although that can be a part of it. I think that a part of the tradition is that people will often travel great distances in India to visit different temples, and certainly this is a way that the cost of doing so, can be reduced. In any case, it is a cultural as well as vedic tradition.
Providing food is also done at the temple. Above is a photo from our Shivaratri event in Kanchipuram where over 500 people were in attendance. The food becomes a part of the fun of Shivaratri and greatly adds to the enjoyment of Shivaratri or any temple event.
In India, particularly out of the larger cities, the temple plays a much more central role in people’s lives than what we experience in the west. The enjoyment of food in the temple setting is a lot of fun and a big part of the experience.
Everyone crowds around to see the abishekam.
Shivaratri in Varanasi
February 21, 2007
There was a conversation that I had once with a priest when I asked why the abishekam ritual always consisted of pouring milk over the deity. There were a number of explanations. first of all, the cow is a very central image in the vedic tradition. It is symbolically wealth, food, a representaive of Mother, and so the offering of milk to the divine is a complelling symbol on many different levels.
In addition, for Shiva the explanation was that since Shiva is the destroyer, he is always hot and the milk is cooling. Whether that is literally true or not, it is a nice way to bring the divine closer in the sense that we are caring for him.
In the process of adding the yagya series in Varanasi, I have been fascinated by the difference in the rituals compared to Tamil Nadu where we have been active for many years. in the photo above you can see that the Shiva lingam (under the coiled mala of white jasmine flowers) is low to the ground, and that the surrounding area is made from a white marble. In the south they tend elevate the lingam and the stone that is used more often than not, is a dark granite.
Note also that the lingam sits under a snake, which is a recurring theme in the vedic tradition.
Another difference is that in Varanasi, milk is show here being offered with the shringi…the horn shaped vessel.
A few photos from the night of Shivaratri
February 19, 2007
During the morning, our priests in Kanchipuram finished the 11 day Maharudra series with a large homam (fire yagya). Here you see them chanting the last mantras from the Yajur Veda (called Chamakam) while ghee is poured into the fire in an unbroken stream using the long woodent implement called a vasodhara.
Later that evening, they travelled to a small village outside Kanchipuram where we have been responsible for the Rudra Abishekam, all the ingredients, and for feeding those who attend (annadanum; gift of food). Each year the event has become more widely known and this year there were over 500 attendees, including several government officials, and a representative from the Shankaracharya’s Mutt (ashram) in Kanchipuram.
As you can see, the lingam in this temple is quite large.
At the same time, in the Varanasi area, a similar yagya is being performed in a Shiva temple. The temple, shown above, sits under a very old pipal tree, rumored to be 500 years old!
Inside the temple, the lingam has been decorated with flowers and here you see milk being offered as a part of the abishekam ritual. In all 11 ingredients are used; water, milk, yogurt curd, ghee, sandalpaste, fruit, turmeric, rosewater, sesame oil, vibhuti (sacred ash), and honey.
The Yagya begins
February 15, 2007
Even though there are countless variations on the structure of a yagya, in general they being with Ganesha puja (to remove obstacles to the successful conculsion of the yagya), then the kalasha puja (to bless and purify the water contained in the water pot), and then a series of pujas, the specifics of which will vary depending on the type of yagya being performed.
In most cases, the offerings follow a sequence that is similar to inviting a guest into your home. The deity is offered a drink, some new clothes, flowers, water, food, etc. In the photo above water is being poured over the lingam after it has been decorated with offerings of cloth and flowers.
Even offerings of food are placed on the lingam, the feeling being that the deity “consumes” the essence, leaving the material form of the food to be consumed as prasadam.
The offerings proceed and can at times be quite extensive. In some yagyas it can be well over 100 different items.
The leaves of the bilva tree are frequently used in Shiva pujas, particularly during Shivaratri. In the photo above we see some sandalpaste being poured over the Shivalingam which has been adorned with a bilva leaf.
You can see some of the milk drain away from around the lingam. The yellow liquid that is mixing with the milk is most likely turmeric, or sandlwood.
Sunrise
February 12, 2007
Whenever a large group of priests gather for the performance of a yagya, there is always a wonderful sense of anticipation in the air just before the first mantras begin. People are talking, final preparations are being made, and then there is that silence when all is ready. With the first hymns, the silence suddenly feels alive as if the universe is paying attention.
All lined up, facing the rising sun.
Early morning
February 11, 2007
In all, 11 clay lingams were carefully prepared for this yagya. I am not sure that either the above or below scene would look any different 100 or even 1000 years ago!
Back to work!
February 10, 2007
It has been a whirlwind few weeks getting ready for Shivaratri with an 11 day Maharudra yagya to organize in Kanchipuram and a huge 1 day event in Varanasi. I always underestimate the amount of time that it will take and unfortunately this blog suffered the consequences! But I am determined to be back on track with daily postings.
The sun rises over the banks of the Ganges. For this yagya 11 Shiva lingams were made from Ganges clay. It is an ancient tradition and one that is mentioned in both the Mahabharata and Ramayana, that worship of Shiva is possible with a simple clay or sand lingam.
So in the early morning, on the banks of the Ganges, it is like a temple can be created, and then afterwards, it will be reabsorbed back into the earth when the clay mixes with the sand.