BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in the UK held a series of 27 Vishwa Shanti Mahayagnas – in London, Birmingham, Leicester and Manchester – over five weekends in the summer of 2022 that formed a part of the year-long community and family programmes commemorating the centennial birth anniversary of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj was a global torchbearer of Sanatan Hindu Dharma and one of the most respected religious leaders of our time. His life, work and teachings have been a beacon of light and inspiration for millions around the world.
Ancient Hindu scriptures describe a yagna as a powerful devotional offering that serves as a sublime connection to God. Yagnas are performed in memory of loved ones as well as to invoke divine blessings for ancestors and current families.
A special smoke-free flame was used to allow these traditional Vedic ceremonies to be conducted indoors.
The yagnas were conducted by expert pandits, supported by children and youths who provided skilled guidance on the rituals and explained their deeper spiritual significance. Volunteers were on hand to assist the participants throughout the ceremony.
The events provided the entire family with an opportunity to worship and learn together, including young children who were given a specially designed activity booklet of puzzles, games and bite-sized information that explained the importance and significance of yagnas.
During these yagnas, more than eight thousand participants collectively prayed for peace, protection and global harmony, growing also in their family unity – all values that Pramukh Swami Maharaj embodied and fostered throughout his life.
Vishal Patel, one of the lead volunteers of the event, shared, “Yagnas of this scale and significance rarely take place outside of India, and served as the perfect way for families to pay tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s life of selfless sacrifice for the community.”