Maha Hanuman Jayanti Homa-2014

This Tuesday we had a beautiful heartfelt homa, a ritual where offerings are made to a consecrated fire, for Maha Hanuman Jayanti. Maha Hanuman Jayaniti is celebrated on Tuesday because that is Hanuman's day. This blessing created a nice ending for the festivities of the weekend's Hanuman Jayanti Bandara.Enthusiastic devotees prepared curry ladoos for Hanuman-ji .  We offered an auspicous 108 ladoos and 108 coconuts dipped in ghee in the homa ceremony. All 108 coconuts were thoughtfully placed around the colorfully decorated homa pit.Mahendra, a long time devotee, visits every year without fail to lead the ceremony. He told me it is god's will that he is able to visit and make these offerings. He has never had any hinderance on his way to the temple from Texas. If anything his trip is always effortless.During the ceremony Mahendra chanted the Hanuman Chalisa by heart and with each round he offered a coconut dipped in ghee with a ladoo placed on top of it.The others who sat around the homa pit, with the sun shining down on them, chanted in response to each line of the Hanuman Chalisa and offered a rice mixture into the burning fire. When the coconuts popped in the fire some felt enthusiastic and called out jai jai.To end the ceremony, that lasted around five hours, devotees circled around the homa pit bowing to Maharaj-ji's and Hanuman-ji's photos  as Mahendra led in the closing prayers.For more photos feel free to visit the ashram's pinterest page where you can save and share your favorite photos.