Yagya (otherwise known as yajna) is a word and a concept that has been an integral part of Hinduism since the Vedic periods. Originally a ritual that is heavily reliant on the use of light and fire, the word yagya designates an act that is a spiritual experience and performance carried out with an aim to praise the gods and deities of the Hindu faith.
The practice of yagya dates as far back as the Vedic period (1500 – 500 BC), an era named after the birth of the first written scriptures of Hinduism. This alone indicates that yagya is a very integral and deep rooted element of the religion, having been a part of it for several millennia.
The ritual can either be performed individually or collectively, meaning that it is either carried out by a single person or a group. Perhaps the most important part of yagya is the Agni, the sacrificial fire that is named after the Hindu god of fire, which is required for the mantras and the verses to be chanted. The purpose of yagya is, very simply put, to make the gods happy and please them with the performed sacrificial act. The fire also acts as a kind of mediator between the material and the spiritual worlds: it is used to deliver the message to the deities as fast as possible.
The material part of the sacrifice (the things that are offered and then poured into the fire as oblations) might include grains, vegetables, butter or other aliments. Vedic yagyas are usually carried out by priests or religiously qualified people, and generally are performed with bigger means and aspects in mind, such as the wellbeing and betterment of society or a certain group of people. Yagyas can also carried out in a domestic form by an individual with more personal and secular matters on the line.
Yagyas can also be used for personal purposes, meaning that several companies or collectives offer services to be carried out by vedic pandits (specially trained and qualified experts of Vedic traditions), and serve the resolution of the personal problems of the customer, or aim specific goals set by the clients. That being said, vedic yagyas are an ancient and spiritual form of an aid to reach our objectives and desires, to get a spiritual support and blessing in respect to what we would like to achieve or obtain in life – as in everyday life and also as a whole.
There are many international companies and services that offer the performance of vedic yagyas and vedic astrology, many of which are trusted experts on Vedic heritage and traditions.