The Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji held a Shanti Yag ceremony, a Hindu prayer ceremony for peace, at the Shiv Mandir in Suva today, paying tribute to the victims of the recent tragic Air India crash near Ahmedabad, India.

The prayer event was attended by several members of Fiji’s Parliament, including Lenora Qereqeretabua, Ioane Naivalarua, and Agni Deo Singh, as well as diplomats such as India’s High Commissioner to Fiji, Suneet Mehta, and British High Commissioner Dr. Brian Jones, alongside members of the public.

Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh conveyed sympathy to the bereaved families and called for collective prayers that such incidents never recur.

“We all pray to the Almighty that the souls that were lost in the unfortunate incident, as the belief of all those who are followers of the Vedas and the Vedic Sanatan Dharam, that they are accorded Moksha. Moksha is actually the state of the soul that enjoys the state of godliness.”

Outgoing British High Commissioner Dr Brian Jones also addressed attendees, acknowledging the far-reaching impact of the disaster.

“We are powerless to determine when that time will be, but the grief we can all feel is the same in every single person. People of Indian heritage have built a global family across my country and the United Kingdom, across Fiji, and across the world, and today I’m sure that the prayers offered, the devotions offered, will give some strength and comfort to those who’ve lost and to those for whom the power of love will enable them to continue to travel, to continue to maintain that global family.”

India’s High Commissioner Suneet Mehta thanked the Fijian government for its solidarity and support.

Because when tragedy strikes our homeland, it’s not only a national moment; it becomes a personal one to each one of us who carries India in our hearts. We’re proud of our culture, which teaches us to stand united in joy and in sorrow. Today’s Yag is a timeless gesture of healing and collective prayer.

The Air India flight, en route to London, crashed shortly after departing Ahmedabad Airport last week, resulting in the deaths of 241 passengers, among them 11 children and two infants.

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