World’s Biggest Yajna Kickstarts 1000th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Ramanuja
Mumbai: Sri Lakshmi Narayana Maha Yajna, a Vedic rite of offering oblations to the sacred fires, is conducted at the 45-acre Munchital Shamshabad at the Statue of Equality campus today to mark the commencement of Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi ‘Samaroham’, the 1000th birth anniversary of Sri Ramanuja Acharya. Featuring the participation of 5000 Vedic scholars the Maha Yajna is conducted with 1035 ‘yaaga kundas’ (the ritual pits) located at 144 ‘homashalas’, making the yajna the world’s largest of its kind in modern history. This Maha Yajna will continue for the next fourteen days at the venue. His Holiness Chinna Jeeyar Swami presided over the Maha Yajna, thronged by thousands of Vedic scholars, celebrities, devotees, and general public.
The event also witnessed the chanting of nine branches of the four Vedas, japa of Ashtakshari Maha Mantra, also known as Mantra rajam (king of all mantras), the recitation of Itihasas, puranas and agamas. Maha prasad, the sanctified food, was served for all, throughout the day. The chanting of Ashtakshari Maha Mantra will take place all 12 days of the Samaroham, starting today, and is expected to reach the counting of one crore by the end of the festival.
Among the ingredients offered as oblations in the yajna were 1.5 lakh kgs of pure ghee, made especially for the Maha Yajna from the milk of desi cows; samidha, and wood from the sacred trees (‘yajna vrukshas’) of jammi, raavi, juvvi, and uttareni; cereals, red soil, and gomayam (cow dung). It is to be noted that the process of making ghee was prescribed by His Holiness Chinna Jeeyar Swamji. The process started 6 months ago with the milk from indigenous cow breeds reared at Pathmeda of Rajasthan.
In his comments, His Holiness Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, said, “Sri Ramanujacharya liberated millions from social, cultural, gender, educational and economic discrimination with the foundational conviction that every human is equal regardless of nationality, gender, race, caste, or creed. We are celebrating his 1000th birth anniversary as the ‘Festival of Equality', upholding the view that the world is one family, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. The utterance of Vedic mantras by learned scholars will benefit everyone. Vedas state that the energy of Vedic mantras transforms the lives of mankind. Every ingredient we use in the yajna is sacred, and the energy and smoke that comes out of the yajna will heal people and the environment. Taking part in the Maha Yajna is a blessing. I am happy that thousands of people from all over the world could make use of this opportunity.”
The highlight of Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi ‘Samaroham’ is the dedication of the Statue of Equality, a 216-feet tall statue of Sri Ramanujacharya. Honorable Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi Ji, is scheduled to inaugurate the statue on February 5, 2022. The Samaroham celebrations will also include consecrations of 108 ornately carved Divya Desams, modelled on the 108 Vishnu temples mentioned in the works of the Alvars, mystic Tamil saints.
