On January 12, fifty Hindu families from the village of Ladhauni in Iglas, Aligarh, attended a ‘Swagat Yajna’ presided over by a woman priest and girls from a Kanya Gurukul. The participants, who were from various castes including scheduled castes, pledged to always uphold their cultural and religious identity.
The Yajna was organised by Agni Samaj. Earlier, the organisation had successfully facilitated the return of 50 families in Rohta Road, Meerut, to Sanatan Dharma, marking the first step in their ongoing effort to curb religious conversions and reinforce the teachings of the Vedas.
Agni Samaj, started by IIT-IIM alumnus Sanjeev Newar, is dedicated to promoting Vedic Sanskrit and carrying out Vedic Sanatana revival on the ground. At the Aligarh event, Dr Manu Arya of Gargi Kanya Gurukul in Iglas carried out the rituals and appealed to participants to stay away from vices such as birth-based discrimination.
Agni Samaj’s initiative is not just about reversing conversions, but also about fostering a sense of social unity and spiritual strength among Hindus. Newar stated that his organisation’s primary goal is to prevent forced conversions and reintroduce Vedic values into the fabric of society. By encouraging all sections of society to reconnect with their faith through Swagat Yajna, the movement aims to ensure that future generations remain rooted in their cultural traditions.
Earlier, the mission had successfully facilitated the Ghar Wapsi of another 50 families in Rohta Road, Meerut, to Sanatan Dharma in a similar ‘Swagat Yajna’, marking the first step in their ongoing effort to curb religious conversions and reinforce the teachings of the Vedas.
As the mission continues to gain momentum in West Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Aligarh, it is clear that the initiative is not just a one-time event, but part of a larger movement to revitalised Hindu identity, combat fraudulent conversions, and foster a deeper connection to the values and practices of Sanatan Dharma. This event is a powerful statement about the importance of preserving religious and cultural integrity.
(Update: An earlier version of this report had stated that 50 Hindu families converted from Christianity to Sanatan Dharma in Aligarh. However, this was true for a separate event at Meerut’s Rohta Road and not Aligarh. The error, based on local news reports, is regretted.)
