Yajna
is a ritual of sacrifice performed by Brahmin priests derived from the practice of Vedic times. It is performed to please the gods or to attain certain wishes. An essential element is the sacrificial fire - the divine Agni - into which oblations are poured, as everything that is offered into the fire is believed to reach the gods.
A Vedic yajna is typically performed by a head Brahmin priest, with a number of additional priests playing a major role, next to their dozen helpers, by reciting or singing Vedic verses. Usually, there will be one or three fires in the centre of the offering ground and items are offered into the fire. Among the items offered as oblations in the yajna include large quantities of ghee, milk, grains, cakes or soma. The duration of a yajna depends on the type; some can last a few minutes, hours or days and some even last for years, with priests continuously offering to the gods accompanied with sacred verses. Some yajnas are performed privately, others with a large number of people in attendance.
Today, only a few hundred individuals know how to perform these sacrifices and even fewer are able to maintain the sacred fires continuously and perform the Śrauta rituals. Only a few thousand perform the Agnihotra or basic fire sacrifice daily.
Below this Video Describes the Practice of Yajna in Greater Detail.
