15 October 2013 - QA 3

Gurudev, what is the significance of offering ghee in the flames of yajnas?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Ghee is basically oil, clarified butter! The final product of milk. I have not heard anybody offering oil in the yajnas. (Laughter)

There are different kinds of engines. Some require petrol, some require diesel. Similarly I think the yajnas tune in only to ghee and not to oil.

Someone should take it as a research, what happens when we put ghee in the fire. Someone can analyze, when ghee is put in the fire and it evaporates, what type of gas does it produce. It will be interesting to know. Some reason must be there why only ghee is used.
Also, a particular type of wood is used, and not any wood. The wood they use is called Samit, taken from the Peepal tree. The sticks from the Peepal tree is what is used in havan (fire ceremony). So we should see, what type of reaction or vibration is produced from the combination of wood from the Peepal tree and ghee. It could be a good thesis for someone to do. Someone from a chemical engineering background may find out.