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What
is Homam / Havan ?
Homa (also known as homam or
havan) is a Sanskrit word which refers to any ritual in which making
offerings into a consecrated fire is the primary action. Homas are an
important religious practise in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Homa and Aradhana is basically offering of intensive Puja to different
GODS and GODDESSES. Some say it Homa Puja, Some say it Homam or Homan.
People do Homa Puja and Aradhana to get faster spiritual effects or to
get results like - To get a peace and happiness in mind, peace at home (griha
shanti) and workplace, For protection from miseries, fulfillment of
wishes and for spiritual benefits. Homa puja or Homam or Homan is also
done for prosperity, material abundance (money and wealth), and
spiritual prosperity. In Homa Puja the prist offer Puja to the
respective God, lighting up the fire which is call Homa Kund and
offering there many items or Puja 'Upachar'. It is also done for a
speedy recovery from illness, for starting a new business or a new
project so that the no any evil forces or effects can hamper the growth,
To remove troubles that prevent us from starting a spiritual path, For
getting married, For a smooth life, peace and harmony in the family, to
improve family relations, for sustaining the family, for departed souls.
Although a consecrated fire is the central element of every homa ritual,
the procedure and items offered to the fire vary by what occasions the
ceremony, or by the benefit expected from the ritual. Procedures
invaribly involve -
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The kindling and consecration
of the sacrificial fire;
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The invocation of one or more
divinities; and,
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The making of offerings
(whether real or visualized) to them with the fire as via media, amid
the recitation of prescribed prayers and mantras.
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The consecrated fire forms the
focus of devotions; it is often maintained on specific types of wood
and other combustibles. The fire-altar (vedi) is generally made of
brick or stone, and is almost always built specifically for the
occasion, being dismantled immediately afterwards. This fire-altar
is invaribly built in square shape. While very large vedis are
occasionally built for major public homas, the usual altar may be as
small as 1 x 1 foot square and rarely exceeds 3 x 3 feet square.
Again, whereas major altars at public events may include a hollowing
of the earth to create a relatively deep pit, usual altars involve
no such excavation and indeed rise only inches above the ground.
In all events, the arrangement
is centered in the middle of a space, which may be either outdoors
or indoors. The principal people performing the ceremony and the
priests who instruct them through the rituals seat themselves around
the altar, while family, friends and other devotees form a larger
ring around that center. The length and procedure of a homa depends
on the purpose to which it is performed; many different types of
homas exist, and the following list is only illustrative. |
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