Homa (ritual)

Offering made into fire in Vedic tradition

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. A homa is sometimes called a "sacrifice ritual" because the fire destroys the offering, but a homa is more accurately a "votive ritual". The practice spread from India to Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. In modern times, a homa tends to be a private ritual around a symbolic fire, such as those observed at a wedding.

The Sanskrit word homa (होम) is from the root hu, which refers to "pouring into fire, offer, sacrifice".

Homa traditions are found across Asia, from Samarkand to Japan, over a 3000 year history. A homa, in all its Asian variations, is a ceremonial ritual that offers food to fire and is ultimately linked to the traditions contained in the Vedic religion. The yajñā or fire sacrifice became a distinct feature of the early śruti rituals. The Vedic ritual consisted of sacrificial offerings of something edible or drinkable, such as milk, clarified butter, yoghurt, rice, barley, an animal, or anything of value, offered to the gods with the assistance of fire priests. This Vedic tradition split into śrauta (śruti based) and Smarta (Smṛti based). The homa style Vedic sacrifice ritual, states Musashi Tachikawa, was absorbed into Mahayana Buddhism and homa rituals continue to be performed in some Buddhist traditions in Tibet, China, and Japan.

Homa rituals are also found in Jainism. The Adipurana of Jainism, in section 47.348, describes a Vedic fire ritual in the memory of Rishabha. Traditional Jaina wedding ceremonies, like among the Hindus, is a Vedic fire sacrifice ritual.