Yagya Stala
October 16, 2007
The September trip to Varanasi started with a 5 day yagya way out in the countryside about 1 hour from Varanasi. The yagyas were held in a traditional structure called a yagya stala. As you can see it is constructed from local wood and features a thatched roof.
The second building was just being completed when we arrived and it was amazing to see how complex the installation of the thatch was. Layers of lager rougher material was topped with what looked like dried rice straw. The entire building was made without any metal at all, as is the vedic tradition. Even the rope which held together all the joints was made from coconut husks.
Days 2, 3, 4 and 5 featured lots of rain, and aside from what blew in form the sides, the sheltered area stayed completely dry.