World’s worst ever and the biggest industrial disaster till date took place in Bhopal on the night of 2-3 December 1984. Methyl Isocynate (MIC) gas leaked sometime in the midnight from Union Carbide Factory in Bhopal causing great havoc. Thousands of people died and many thousands more were seriously affected.

The city of Bhopal was reeling under fear and there was suffering all around. However, all those performing daily Agnihotra in Bhopal were safe. Agnihotra proved a very protective armour for all of them. There was not a single fatality, no Agnihotri fell sick and neither suffered a mentionable financial loss. Realising the need of the time local Agnihotris promptly got engaged in doing welfare activities for the gas affected. Some cooked food at home for distributing it to the sick in the hospitals, some offered personal services to the suffering patients and some arranged group cremations etc.

Volunteer Agnihotri’s actively served in the MIC gas affected colonies. They formed 8 to 10 groups of Agnihotris at different places where about 40-50 affected people used to gather. Morning-evening Agnihotra used to be performed amongst these affected people and small packets of Agnihotra ash used to be distributed to them for use as medicine. Similarly, everyday after Agnihotra performance in the morning and evening Agnihotra Eye-drops used to be put in the eyes of the affected people. The result of the treatment with Agnihotra eye-drops was wonderful as it gave immense relief to the patients.

The MIC gas affected people mainly suffered from severe cough, ulcers in the throat and the gas having gone in their eyes they were badly affected causing constant painful irritation in the eyes and kind of redness never seen before. As no treatment was known for the MIC affected , this being the first calamity of its kind in the world, only symptomatic treatment was given to the patients in the local government hospitals. Whatever medicines were given these were not giving much relief to the patients. In such circumstances Agnihotra ash  and Agnihotra atmosphere helped in providing inner peace to those who suffered from the mental agony of loosing their near and dear ones and having suffered financial losses.

This is the experience of about 400-500 people of both Hindu and Muslim communities. In the month of February, 1985 came Agnihotri Shri Barry Rathner of United States of America and he also worked for some time in the colonies of these affected people. Those 15-20 Agnihotra volunteers who performed daily morning-evening Agnihotra in the group of assembled suffering people did so regularly for about 2 months. Thereafter  they inspired these people to perform Agnihotra themselves.

At that time most of the Newspapers had highlighted these wonderful curing effects of Agnihotra. A news report of ‘The Hindu’ published from Chennai is given hereunder:

“Excerpts from – ‘The Hindu’ – Sunday, April 7, 1985 (Madras Edition)–“

-VEDIC WAY TO BEAT POLLUTION –

On the night of December 2-3 1984 S.L. Kushwaha (45) a teacher woke up at 1.30 on hearing his wife Triveni (36) vomitting. Soon he and his children also began coughing , feeling chest pain, burning in the eyes  and suffocation. Looking out of their home they saw people fleeing in panic. One of them told Kushwaha of the gas leak in the Union Carbide Factory about a mile away. They decided to join the crowd and run when Triveni suggested ” why not start doing Agnihotra?” They did, and within 20 minutes the symptoms of MIC gas poisoning went away.  

M.L. Rathore (33), with his wife, four children, mother and brother lives near the Bhopal Railway station, where dozens of people died of MIC poisoning. Rathore who had started doing Agnihotra five years ago, began doing the homa, and continued with the “Tryambakam Homa”.

These are but two examples of Agnihotra coming to the rescue of the gas stricken people of Bhopal. Efforts are on to find out how many of the Agnihotris were benefitted by the homa in Bhopal.

The positive effects of Agnihotra benefited lots of gas affected people and among them the experience of the Prajapati family stands out as the most outstanding one. Shri O.N. Prajapati’s wife was severely affected and was in a very critical condition. Shri Prajapati himself suffered severe irritation and redness of the eyes. His two sons were also badly affected. In such circumstances he started performance of Agnihotra.

Favourable result was inevitable. He himself got cured in a week’s time. His wife, however, took months to get fully cured. One of his sons, who was 13 years old, was diagnosed to be suffering from TB (Tuberculosis). Shri Prajapati having himself experienced the astonishing curing power of Agnihotra did not opt for treatment of his son under any other prevalent pathy’s but preferred Agnihotra chikitsa (treatment). His son was completely cured due to the positive effects of Agnihotra atmosphere, Mahamrityunjay Yagnya and regular use of Agnihotra ash as medicine. The most astonishing thing is that Shri Prajapati’s youngest daughter, who was born one year after the gas tragedy, is the healthiest among his five children.