Havan is a fire ritual that celebrates the awakening of consciousness

Havan
Havan is a fire ritual that celebrates the awakening of consciousness,
the moment when humankind discovered fire. It is an external
process, involving external ritual to connect oneself, ones inner
consciousness with nature and the transcendental reality. -Adapted
from Sw Niranjan.
Havan is a fire ritual also which has its origins in Indian Vedic culture
dating back over 4500 years. It is also called agnihotra, homa therapy
or yagyopathy and these terms tend to be used interchangeably.
Multiple healing therapies are involved. All natural ingredients are
used in havan which have Ayurvedic healing properties. Mantra’s are
chanted and offered to the fire which intensifies the effect of the
mantra. A universal mantra to chant during a havan is the
Mahamrityunjaya mantra. Read more about mantra here.
Havans can have a powerful, transformative and healing effect. They
also help to connect with and cleanse the environment.
Learning the mantras can take some time so use the video and book
to help.
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
Healing in the heart, home and environment
Chanted 108 times during Havan
Pronunciation (Bold is low, CAPS is high):
Om tra-yam-BA-kam ya-jaa-MA-he
su-gan-dhim pu-shti-var-dha-NAM
ur-vaa-ru-ka-mi-va ban-DHA-naat
mrit-yor-muk-shee-ya maam-RI-taat
swa-haa
We pay homage to the universal consciousness which nourishes all
beings. May we be liberated from the death of ignorance through
knowledge of our immortal essence, just as the cucumber is severed
from the bondage of the vine. Commentary on Maha
Mrityunjaya Mantra :
The metaphor of the cucumber addresses the manner in which a yogi
moves towards freedom or enlightenment. The cucumber’s path
toward ripeness is one of action and work, filled with influences from
the natural world and the variety of forces and people around and
within it, just as is necessary for our own growth. There comes a
point, however, where grace takes over, and there is an effortless
falling away. When a cucumber is ripe, it will drop from the vine.
After this natural falling away, it will appear completely whole,
without any sign of separation on either end – no stem mark or scar.
The cucumber does not still yearn for the vine. It is as if there never
even was a vine. It is whole, complete, just as it is. Just as we are,
and through effort and grace, we experience it.
Transformation through Fire
"Fire, whether the fire of yogic tapas (purification though
heat) or the actual fire flame, burns things and transforms
them into subtle forms of energy. It is fire which enables the
offerings to be transformed into the subtle essence which
can then nourish and restore the environment. Moreover, by
breathing in and absorbing the smoke through the pores of
the skin and the orifices of the body, our inner environment
is purified and the subtle bodies or koshas fed.
The fire ceremony is actually a process of transmuting gross
matter (the body as well as the offering) into subtle energy
so that is can be elevated to higher realms of reality. In a
more profound sense this alchemical process from mundane
to subtle signifies the transmutation and refinement of the
lower instinctive or animalistic self. In other words, it is
rather an act of sublimating or channelling the lower
instincts of worldly attachments (raga and dwesha) towards
the divine, which is identical with the yogic process" - Yoga
Ecology: Transforming the Inner and Outer Environments by
Swami Vibhooti Saraswat
Swaha
"The act of offering is called ahuti or oblation. With each
offering 'Swaha' (I offer) is said All ritual offerings into the
sacred fire are offered with this mantra; sva means 'oneself'
and ha means 'to offer'. The implication is the offering of
oneself for the sake of others; the oblations are meant as
substitutes for oneself. One is reborn through the act of
sacrifice, the old being is burnt up and a new, divine being
emerges, consecrated to altruism. Thus yajna is truly a
transforming rite of passage ritual." - The Ancient Sacred
Fire of Yajna by Swami Muktananda Saraswati (Australia)
Samagri - Medicinal Herb Mixture
"Various symbols and actions are used to redirect our senses
and heighten our sattwic emotions. The fire represents God
or truth. The sacrificial food, the samagri (mixture of seeds,
plants, resins, grains, etc.) is offered into the fire. The
mixture represents our worldly samskaras such as
attachment, greed, violence, etc. that bind us to our lower
nature and trap us in egocentric thoughts and desires. We
offer the seeds of all future actions into this fire of selfknowledge to be completely consumed. Symbolically we are
offering our very lives into the fire of purification and
sacrifice. While a specific number of people will actually offer
the samagri, each of us can participate equally in the ritual
by the degree of our sankalpa, awareness and surrender.
The offerings are substances that sustain life and always the
best quality available is offered. Many of the items are
natural antiseptics and aromatics. As they burn, the
subsequent vapours pervade the atmosphere, destroying
pollutants and purifying the environment for many
kilometres around. The vibrations of the mantras enhance
the beneficial effect of these vapours. This ritual not only
benefits the external environment, the participants of yajna
also benefit as purification takes place in each individual's
internal environment as the vapours and mantras permeate
the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual entity." - The
Ancient Sacred Fire of Yajna by Swami Muktananda
Saraswati (Australia)
Why perform Havan?
"A havan is performed for internal growth, purity, health,
long life and purifying the surroundings. It is also conducted
to express and ignite love and respect towards all natural
assets, to be in nature’s surrender, to understand ones
thoughts and feelings and above all to achieve and evolve a
psychic state, which only thinks of the welfare of others, to
expand ones thought to make it universal. All these are
possible by consistently performing havan. To the ones we
love the most we offer the best. Hence through the process
of havan we learn to beautify our whole being, offer it to the
source of our being, and surrender to it. This is the ultimate
prayer." - Meena Om
"Medicines and herbs are vaporized by offering them as
oblation in fire and they enter the human body in gaseous
form through nose, lungs and pore of skin. It is easiest, less
risky method of intake of medicine and it makes sure that it
reaches every cell of the body." - Treatment by Yagyopathy
(Yagya Vigyan) - Nikhil Kalp Kuteer
•
Connecting with Nature through Fire
Sound and heat are combined with medicinal herbs to produce a
profound effect
Fire Pit (Kunda)
The word kunda meaning 'a deeper place'.
The inverted pyramid is design to sacred geomerty and maximises
slow burning and projection of vapours.
Learn the Havan Mantra
Hrdaya Mudra for Havan
A modified version of Hrdaya Mudra is held at the heart centre
during havan.
Mala
A mala contains 108 beads and is used to count the number of
mantras chanted
Research paper on Havan
Havan is also called agnihotra, homa therapy or yagyopathy
Click on the image ABOVE to open. Also available
at: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/1076280047739
33352
Samagri Ingredients
Samagri can contain between 20 to 70 herbs, grains, seeds,
flowers, plants and resins.