Part of a series on |
Hinduism |
---|
![]() |
In Indic religions, a homa (Sanskrit: होम), also known as havan, is a fire ritual performed on special occasions by a Hindu priest usually for a homeowner ("grihastha": one possessing a home). The grihasth keeps different kinds of fire including one to cook food, heat a home, among other uses; therefore, a Yajna offering is made directly into the fire.[1][2] A homa is sometimes called a "sacrifice ritual" because the fire destroys the offering, but a homa is more accurately a "votive ritual".[1] The fire is the agent, and the offerings include those that are material and symbolic such as grains, ghee, milk, incense, and seeds.[1][3]
It is rooted in the Vedic religion,[4] and was adopted in ancient times by Buddhism and Jainism.[1][3] The practice spread from India to Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.[1] Homa rituals remain an important part of many Hindu ceremonies, and variations of homa continue to be practiced in current-day Buddhism, particularly in parts of Tibet and Japan.[4][5] It is also found in modern Jainism.[4][6]
A homa is also called yajna in Hinduism, sometimes for larger public fire rituals, or jajnavidhana or goma in Buddhism.[3][7] In modern times, a homa tends to be a private ritual around a symbolic fire, such as those observed at a wedding.[8]
Witzel2015p143
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).mushashit126
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).phyllisgranoff399
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).