A guide to Agnihotra
The fire of transformation
Agnihotra, a purifying Vedic fire ceremony, is one of the most powerful practices you can do to heal your environment and support everyone who lives in it.
At Hale Pule, we practice agnihotra at sunrise and sunset each day to purify the atmosphere, including the land and anyone living on the land. If you have a garden, it supports an abundant harvest. In just three years, our previous farm on Kaua’i, Durga Farms, transformed from a barren commercial agricultural wasteland into a lush and thriving organic farm and orchard.
Anyone can perform agnihotra and be part of healing themselves and the planet.
For maximum benefits, we recommend getting an agnihotra kit: including the proper high quality vessel and tools. If you're outside the U.S., it may be easier to contact Gopi, our dear friend in India, to purchase your kit.
You’ll need rice, ghee (learn to make your own ghee), and dried cow dung to practice this ceremony at sunrise and sunset. We recommend the Agnihotra Buddy app to get the precise times for sunrise and sunset at your location. Chant specific mantras for the morning and evening, to join Hale Pule and thousands of others who are healing the planet and themselves through this simple powerful ceremony.
How to perform agnihotra:
About 7-10 minutes before the exact time of sunrise or sunset, place a few pieces of dried cow dung into the agnihotra pyramid, so air can pass through it.
• Apply ghee to a piece of cow dung and light it on fire using a match. Then use this piece of dung to light the rest of the dung inside the pyramid. Arrange the pieces leaning on each other inside of the pyramid to allow airflow for easy burning. Add small amounts of ghee right next to the flame to help the fire spread to the rest of the dung.
• Once your fire is going, place two small piles of rice in your copper offering dish, and add ghee to each.
• At the exact moment of sunrise or sunset, chant the mantra below, and right after the first "swáhá" offer one pile of the rice and ghee into the fire, using the middle and ring fingers and thumb of your right hand. Then make the second offering after the second "swáhá".
• After you finish the mantra and offering, sit in silence or meditation with the fire until it goes out naturally. Leave the burned ashes in the pot until the next fire, at which time the ash can be collected in a glass or metal container for medicinal use for people or plants.
Sunrise Mantra
sooryáya swáhá, sooryáya idam na mama
(after the word swáhá, add the first portion of rice & ghee into the fire)
prajápataye swáhá, prajápataye idam na mama
(after the word swáhá, add the second portion of rice & ghee into the fire)
This completes morning agnihotra.
Sunset Mantra
agnaye swáhá, agnaye idam na mama
(after the word swáhá, add the first portion of rice & ghee into the fire)
prajápataye swáhá, prajápataye idam na mama
(after the word swáhá, add the second portion of rice & ghee into the fire)
This completes evening agnihotra.
→ Agnihotra kit (outside of the U.S.)
We offer free training and tips for anyone interested in practicing agnihotra.
To find agnihotra supplies in your local area, please visit the International Homa Therapy website.