Alternative Rationalities and the Reinvention of Tradition: Vedic Science and the Agnihotra-Fire Ritual
17.10.2023
Prof.Dr. Andreas Nehring (FAU, CAS-E)
The Agnihotra-ritual, I will present and discuss in this lecture, in the form in which it is commonly practiced today is
rather simple. It is performed in the evening at sunset and in the morning at sunrise. It only takes a small vessel, made
of copper, some cowdunk, unpolished rice and a bit of ghee, clarified butter, some mantras have to be chanted and
the whole procedure only lasts couple of minutes. What has been striking my interest is that we can observe a
growing number of “scientific” publications in which the claim, to document and prove the efficacy of this ritual
especially for health and the conservation or even improvement of the environment. Not only in India but also in
other parts of the world the ritual is performed by a growing number of practitioners, who celebrate Agnihotra or
Homa, referring thereby to an ancient Vedic ritual.