Mumbai, February 21: A makeshift city, with yagyashalas, residential tents, and exhibition centres, covering 140 acres, has come up in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, to accommodate members of the Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar, a socio-spiritual organisation, which is celebrating a five-day Mumbai Ashwamedha Mahayagya programme, which started on Wednesday. Around three lakh people are expected every day at the function.
The event started in the afternoon with a procession of over 24,000 women carrying kalash or pots containing water from holy rivers. The water will be used for rituals that will start today. The kalash yatra, which traveled more than five kilometers from Belpada was received at the venue at Pethpada by Jagdishkumar Gupta of J Kumar Infraprojects, and Dr Chinmay Pandya of the Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar. Later the event was inaugurated by Maharashtra governor Ramesh Bais and Sudhir Mungantiwar, minister for forests.
FPJ
Ritual For Peace And Prosperity:
There are 1008 yagna kunds for a fire ritual that is believed to bring peace and prosperity to the country. The Gayatri Parivar was established in 1926 by Acharya Ram Sharma, who was also a freedom fighter, in Awalkheda near Agra. Spiritually inclined, he had traveled to the Himalayas as a 15-year-old and was introduced to the Gayatri Mantra, a prayer for wisdom and deliverance from spiritual darkness.
Acharya, who became a prolific writer of books on Sanatan Dharma, took the prayer and the message of spirituality to the world. He promoted a society free of caste, opening up opportunities for the study of scriptures by everyone, irrespective of caste or gender. The organisation, now led by Dr Pranav Pandya, claims to have around 17 crore followers across the world.
The first Mahayagya was held in 1993 in Jaipur and the Mumbai event is the 47th. Members of the organisation said that this will be the only time when the event will be held in Mumbai. “The Mahayagya has never been held twice in one place. It plans to travel all over the world,” said a member.
Ashwamedha Mahayagyas were once held by kings to expand their territories. Lord Rama organised one after returning to Ayodhya after his exile. “The Ashwamedha yagyas by kings were for consolidating their power, but this yagna in Kalyug is not for expanding physical boundaries but expansion of thoughts,” said the member.
