अग्निहोत्र | AGNIHOTRA 🔥: A Fire Purification practice
What is Agnihotra?
As the name suggests, it is a fire purification practice. A calming and healing fire purification ritual dating back to the Vedic age and practiced twice daily for its beneficial effects on our body, mind and the environment surrounding us. Not only this, but the practice has been backed by scientific research and its effects are incredible.
- For the skin
- Agnihotra ash when mixed with desi ghee helps clear skin rashes and wounds.
- For environment and pollution benefits
- It significantly decreases the microbial count in the air up to 30 feet.
- There is a reduction in Sulphur oxides.
- For agriculture and plants
- Reduced adverse effects of genotoxicity and chemical insecticides and pesticides.
- Significant seed germination and plant growth.
- For water purification using the ash
- Pathogenic bacterial count reduced up to 95%
- Raw polluted water becomes potable (per WHO standards)
- PH of treated water becomes neutral
Aren’t the benefits remarkable? Here is how you perform it!
Ingredients
- 2-3 small Gauri or cow dung cakes broken into pieces
- 1 tbsp desi cow ghee
- 15-25 grains of unpolished rice
- Small piece of camphor
- A special inverted pyramid shaped copper vessel कुन्द
Method
Agnihotra is usually performed twice in a day, during sunrise and sunset. Put all the ingredients in the copper vessel. Properly light the ingredients and smoke them out. The smoke or fumigation will disperse into the air, lasting approximately 5 mins or more.
Remember to face the direction of the sun and chant the following mantra at sunset and sunrise.
At Sunrise: “Sooryaya swaha, Sooryaya idam na mama
Pranapataye swaha, Prajapataye idam na mama”🙏🏽ॐ
At Sunset: “Agnaye swaha, Agnaye idam na mama
Prajapataye swaha, Prajapataye idam na mama” 🙏🏽ॐ
The ritual takes no more than a few minutes to complete!
Here is also a link to the research paper on benefits of Agnihotra:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273675026_Scientific_study_of_Vedic_Knowledge_Agnihotra
Do let me know if you try it out and how it goes!