Democratisation of Homa through DIY Homa Workshops by Arunisha Sengupta

Homa/Yagna is an ancient spiritual practice traced back to the Vedic times. Through eons, it has sustained and evolved and even in modern days, there can be no Hindu religious/auspicious occasion without a yagna/homa. Typically, whenever we have to conduct a homa/yagna at our place, whether for a Griha Pravesh, a wedding, a vastu puja, or such auspicious occasions, we take the help of a panditji. But in Mumbai there is a small group of individuals learnt to do homa, all by themselves. 

“Homa is predominantly done by priests. It looks all complex and that which we don’t know, we fear. The whole attempt is to give easy steps and in a simple process, common people would be able to do homa by themselves. A priest will still be needed when you are doing elaborate rituals but a basic homa can be done by individuals at the comfort of their homes. In ancient times Homa was also a daily spiritual practice. What I am doing is getting common people to get accustomed to an ancient tradition. This way the seeds of spirituality will be further sown by practicing our value systems”, says Arunisha Sengupta, a MARCOM consultant, who has taken it upon herself to democratize homa or yagnas. 

Embarking on her spiritual odyssey at a tender age, Arunisha Sengupta, discovered a profound connection with Fire amidst diverse paths. Mastery in performing and guiding yagnas and homas has positioned her as India’s rare female practitioners of this ancient religious/spiritual tradition. Arunisha conducts free DIY homa camps, sharing her expertise without keeping any restrictions of any caste or creed. She adds. “homa has been a bastion of a certain sect of people. These easy-homa manuals developed by my spiritual mentors, remove the restrictions of caste or gender. The ingredients are also very simple. I believe anybody can do homa.” Spiritual practice is not restricted to only one kind of people and Arunisha is walking the talk and reaching out to as many people across cities, as she can, despite her hectic work schedule. 

On April 20, in Mumbai, Arunisha orchestrated a transformative Ganapati homa workshop, laying the groundwork for spiritually inclined individuals’ immersion into a traditional spiritual discipline. Her message resounds: spirituality is inclusive, it transcends gender, class and caste, beckoning us to dismantle barriers hindering true enlightenment. It’s a clarion call to embrace equality (as Fire is the greatest equalizer), evolve spiritually and collectively break the chains.