[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsHWG4zI2VE[/youtube]

A high resolution video of a special fire ceremony, the Atirudra, was held at Shri Anandi Ma’s ashram in Nikora in January of  2011 as part of Guruji’s birthday celebration.

The Atirudra fire ceremony, a mahayagna, is a very rare and unique event dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, or Rudra. Although Lord Shiva is the superior-most deity, ‘ati’, meaning all-inclusive, is added because all the other forms of the divine, both the father and mother, are part of this practice. Mantras to Lord Ganesh, Lord Vishnu, the Divine Mother, and Lord Hanuman as well as Lord Shiva are offered. The mantras to Shiva include His several names and expound the vision of His infinite forms, His qualities, etc. Through the fire ceremony we ask the Lord for protection in the many natural interactions of our lives.

It had been at least 20 years since an Atirudra fire ceremony has been performed in the state of Gujarat. The great saint Anandamayi Ma performed it and stated that it is a very rare and difficult yagna to perform.