What is Dipa Yagya?

A “DIPA YAGYA” involves lighting of a large number of earthen lamps by the participants collectively as an alternative to the traditional Yagya, for which enormous expenditure of money, resources and time is required. Besides, for a traditional Yagya, there is also an acute shortage of such priests of high charter and expertise who have the charisma to motivate the masses. Consequently, few socially-committed people attend the traditional yagyas and even those who do, not find it necessary to stay throughout the event. The blame for this lack of interest goes to the organizers. Consequently, in course of such yagyas, people tend to drift apart instead of coming together for any creative venture.

In view of these problems, without sacrificing the basic objective of the traditional yagya, the institution of “Dipa Yagya” has been introduced -modifying the rituals and the mantras to suit the contemporary social milieu and requirements of scriptures. Since material for performing “Dipa Yagayas” is easily available and they are easy to organize with minimum time and resources, they have successfully achieved the purpose for which traditional yagyas were performed in ancient times.

For a “Dipa Yagya”, each participant brings with him/ her an earthen lamp and five incense sticks. Men and women are asked to squat separately in rows  without any distinction of class, caste, status, creed or faith. Gayatri Mantra is chanted by all participants in chorus. Besides, through the medium of songs and discourses, people are told ways and means for achieving excellence in life and are informed about the reformations required in the existing regressive traditions and customs. At the end of the “Deep Yagya”, a “Pragya Mandal” (Task force of enlightened persons) is constituted from amongst the participating assembly for further action.

“Deep Yagyas” are generally organized in the evenings. Where there is a day-long programme (usually on a public holiday) it is divided into three sessions - one each in the morning, mid-day and evening. In the morning session, people participate in a short conventional yagya. In the middle session at noon, group discussions are held. The programme ends with a meeting. This methodology of interaction with the masses has been extraordinarily successful in the man-making exercise of the mission thereby nurturing an encouraging background for all round progress. Such conventions, being arranged by the members of the mission each year, add up to tens of thousands. The meetings are providing opportunities to motivate millions of people for noble living and progressive thinking. In the beginning of the new millennium, it is proposed to cover much larger sections of the society through such conventions.

-By Shri Ram Sharma Acharya