Homa (ritual)
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Procedure
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 -- the kindling and consecration of the sacrificial fire;
- the invocation of one or more divinities; and,
- the making of offerings (whether real or visualized) to them with the fire as via media, amid the recitation of prescribed prayers and mantras.
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.
Some common homas
Homa rituals have been performed by Vedic priests for several millenia. The following is an illustrative list of a few such homa rituals:
| Ceremony | Purpose | |
| Aayushya homa | for longevity; often held to celebrate an anniversary | |
| Dhanavantri homa | for good health | |
| Durga homa | to cancel negative energies; for self-confidence | |
| Gayatri homa | to facilitate good karma | |
| Kritya Pariharana | to counter the effects of black magic | |
| Ganapathi homa | to overcome obstacles | |
| Lakshmi Kubera homa | for wealth and material prosperity | |
| Mangala Samskarana homa | to celebrate auspicious events; to attain Moksha | |
| Mahadevi homa | for the stimulation of a marriage and for marital felicity among those already married | |
| Navagraha homa | to negate limitations in one's horoscope | |
| Punyahavachana homa | for the naming of a child | |
| Sudarshana homa | for success in an undertaking | |
| Vastu homa | a house-warming; to encourage good Vastu (energy in buildings) | |
| Vidya homa | to benefit students; to facilitate learning | |
| Vishwa Shanthi homa | for universal peace and harmony, as also harmony beween the self and the universe | |
| Viraja Homa | purification rites performed as part of the formal ceremonies by which a person takes the vows of renunciation (Sannyas), thereby becoming a Sanyasin (monk) |
The purification rites of the Viraja homa ritual also apply to the formal ceremonies by which a Hindu monk takes up the vows of renunciation (Sannyas), thereby becoming a Sanyasin. The procedure is a part of the full Sannyas Diksha monastic initiation ceremony. After the Homa, the monk receives the ochre robes the characteristic dress of Hindu monks, from his teacher (guru).
See also
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