Puja, Havan, and Sacred Ceremony
Puja
In the wisdom traditions of India, puja is a ritual or ceremony that involves offering prayers and devotions to one or more deities. It is a way for people to express their love and reverence for the divine and to seek the highest blessings and guidance. Pujas invoke auspiciousness, can be used to mark the start or ending of an undertaking, honor the memory of an ancestor, or can petition the universe for a specific sankalpa, or intention.
The puja ceremony usually takes place in a temple, ashram, home, or business, and can be performed by an individual or a group. It involves various ritual elements, including the lighting of candles or lamps, the burning of incense, the offering of flowers and food, and the recitation of mantras, prayers, and hymns. Puja creates an atmosphere of abundance where the energy of meditation can easily be accessed.
The specific rituals and offerings may vary depending on the deity being worshipped, or the intention behind the ceremony, as well as the regional and cultural traditions of the worshipper. Some yogis, hindus, and tantrikas may perform puja daily, while others may only do so on special occasions or festivals.
Nataraj has studied the art and spiritual science of puja and is honoured to perform a puja on your behalf in your home or business.
Invoke Grace and Blessings
Pujas can be used to invoke blessings, create the conditions for healing, remove obstacles, celebrate the memory of a loved one, or petition the divine for a specific intention. Nataraj will work with you to prescribe what kind of puja will be best for your circumstance.
Havan
Havan, sometimes called, homa, or yajna is a powerful ritual that involves the worship of a divine entity through the medium of fire. It is an ancient practice that has been performed for thousands of years and is considered one of the most important forms of worship in Yoga, Hinduism, and Tantra.
The ancient seers believed that to attend to sacred fire was the highest sadhana (spiritual practice). To make offerings of wood, herbs, seeds, ghee, and rice into the yajna (sacrificial fire) was to affirm our place in an endless cycle of giving and receiving between the individual and the divine.
The havan is an ancient vedic ritual that is a selfless act of worship. Fire, Agni, was thought to be the intermediary between us and the Divine and symbolised the transformational, alchemical power of the light of consciousness.
Sacred mantras are chanted as the offerings are cast into the fire. As the offerings are being made, the word Svaha was intoned. “Svaha” means, “so be it,” or “let it burn,” and this word makes the mantras an offering.
As the physical form of the offerings is destroyed by the fire, the pure energetic potency of those offerings is released into the atmosphere so that the wheel of life can continue to turn. Agni transmutes the mantras and offerings, changing them into spiritual nourishment for the universe. The ancient yogis believed that it was our active, conscious, devoted participation in the cyclical nature of life that bestows blessings on all of humanity. To offer our prayers and good wishes into the sacred fire is the highest form of compassion, and has the ability to radically shift our karmas.
Those who perform yajnas, havans, and homas sacrifice only the best ingredients into the fire, filled with the understanding that the bounty we have to offer was never truly ours to begin with. We offer life back to Life. We are totally provided for by the ever-compassionate, conscious, grace-filled Shakti. It is simply our duty to continuously give.
The havan is seen as a way to purify the environment and the individual performing the ritual, as well as to connect with the divine energy of the universe. It is often performed on special occasions, such as weddings, births, and other auspicious events, and is believed to bring blessings, prosperity, and spiritual growth.
Nataraj is honoured to share this timeless ritual with you.
