Saturday, June 23, 2012
The Havan Homa (ritual) For Peace Progress and Prosperity
The Havan Homa (ritual) For Peace Progress and Prosperity, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Homa (also known as homam or havan) is a Sanskrit word which refers to any ritual in which making offerings into a consecrated fire is the primary action.[1] At present, the words homa/homam and havan are interchangeable with the word Yajna.[2]
Homas are an important religious practise in Hinduism, where they part of most of the Sanskar ceremonies, Buddhism (particularly the Tibetan and Japanese Vajrayana traditions) and Jainism.
Although a consecrated fire is the central element of every homa ritual, the procedure and items offered to the fire vary by what occasions the ceremony, or by the benefit expected from the ritual. Procedures invaribly involve -
the kindling and consecration of the sacrificial fire;
the invocation of one or more divinities; and,
the making of offerings (whether real or visualized) to them with the fire as via media, amid the recitation of prescribed prayers and mantras.
The consecrated fire forms the focus of devotions; it is often maintained on specific types of dung, wood, dried coconut (copra) and/or other combustibles. The fire-altar (vedi or homa/havan kunda) is generally made of brick or stone or a copper vessel, and is almost always built specifically for the occasion, being dismantled immediately afterwards. This fire-altar is invaribly built in square shape. While very large vedis are occasionally built for major public homas, the usual altar may be as small as 1 x 1 foot square and rarely exceeds 3 x 3 feet square. Again, whereas major altars at public events may include a hollowing of the earth to create a relatively deep pit, usual altars involve no such excavation and indeed rise only inches above the ground.
In all events, the arrangement is centered in the middle of a space, which may be either outdoors or indoors. The principal people performing the ceremony and the priests who instruct them through the rituals seat themselves around the altar, while family, friends and other devotees form a larger ring around that center. The length and procedure of a homa depends on the purpose to which it is performed; many different types of homas exist, and the following list is only illustrative.
Some common Homas
Homa rituals have been performed by Vedic priests for several millennia. The following is an illustrative list of a few such homa rituals:
Ceremony Purpose
Aayushya homa to ward off evil influences present in a child's life immediately following its birth, thereby ensuring longevity
Mrutyunjaya homa for ward off life threatening situations like accidents
Dhanavantri homa for good health
Durga homa to cancel negative energies; for self-confidence
Chandi homa For Victory in all endeavors
Gayatri homa to facilitate positive thinking and subsequently performing good karma
Kritya Pariharana to counter the effects of black magic
Ganapati homa to overcome obstacles
Lakshmi Kubera homa for wealth and material prosperity
Mangala Samskarana homa to celebrate auspicious events; to attain Moksha
Mahadevi homa for the stimulation of a marriage and for marital felicity among those already married
Navagraha homa to appease the Nine planets and limit the evil influences in one's horoscope
Punyahavachana homa for the naming of a child
Sudarshana homa for success in an undertaking
Santhana Gopala homa for blessings for a Child
Rudra homa Getting rid of all negative influences
Vastu homa a house-warming; to encourage good Vastu (energy in buildings)
Vidya homa to benefit students; to facilitate learning
Vishwa Shanthi homa for universal peace and harmony, as also harmony between the self and the universe
Viraja Homa purification rites performed as part of the formal ceremonies by which a person takes the vows of renunciation (Sannyas), thereby becoming a Sanyasi (monk)
The purification rites of the Viraja homa ritual also apply to the formal ceremonies by which a Hindu monk takes up the vows of renunciation (Sannyas), thereby becoming a Sanyasi. The procedure is a part of the full Sannyas Diksha monastic initiation ceremony. After the Homa, the monk receives the ochre robes the characteristic dress of Hindu monks, from his teacher (guru).
Shot By The Worlds Youngest Street Photographer Marziya Shakir 4 Year Old
Shot By The Worlds Youngest Street Photographer Marziya Shakir 4 Year Old, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
Shot on her own camera Canon EOS 60D that she tells me is like a toy compared to the one she loves to shoot on Canon EOS 7D.
Marziya Shakir has been shooting pictures since the age of 2.. on the Nikon D 80 and it is recently she began shooting on Canon.
Here she has shot 3 Malangs in a single frame her grandfather yours truly , her sister Nerjis Asif Shakir Mast Malang, and Marc Malang who became a Dam Madar Malang along with me at Ajmer last year.
We share the same Guru Baba Masoomi, and Marc Malang visited Makhanput Holy Shrine of Saint Zinda Shah Madar near Kanpur.
Marc de Clercq than walked from Jaipur to Ajmer with the other Dam Madar Malangs to shoot the 800 Urus of Khwajah Moinuddin Chishty.
We met at Ajmer as we normally do year after year at the Lotus Feet of our Peer Baba Masoomi a highly respected revered holy Man in the Madari silsila.
We both myself and Marc are Malang brothers and we are known as Masoomi.. our new name ending suffix.
Marc was leaving for Delhi from my house he had to take a train from Bombay Central and from Delhi he will fly out homewards to Belgium.
Wife had cooked biryani for him , and at our home Malang is treated as our extended family member.
Marziya Shakir and Marc share a unique bond as human beings and as gifted photographers.
Actually most of the eminent photographers that visit my house meet Marziya Shakir and she shoots them for posterity.
Nerjis Asif Shakir 11 month old is learning photography on the Canon EOS 60 D .. with my help she shoots pictures too..but she knows the camera and the laptop too , two main pillars of wisdom at our house ..the other two pillars are humanity and humility.
Mr Rajesh Khannas Man Friday Bala ..The Bollywood Butler
Mr Rajesh Khannas Man Friday Bala ..The Bollywood Butler, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
236,718 items / 1,983,368 views
The man a shadow that walks faithfully behind the Living Legend the God of Acting Mr Rajesh Khanna.. a diminutive humble down to earth unassuming Bala.
He has been with the Boss for over 35 years or more , he is a silent soul, he knows what the Boss wants much before the Boss asks for it.
He plays the lead role in the domestic affairs of the Bosses household.
Leads you to the Boss and out of the house once your work is done and a smile from the Boss befire you can say a word he serves you with fresh lime juice.
He is the Indian dutiful Butler of Mr Rajesh Khanna dressed in shorts and a Tshirt at home , or a white shirt and black trouser at the Bosses shoot.
The last shoot was the Fan ad Boss in a black Tuxedo..
This picture was short at Vijay Sirohis Don Ke Bad Kaun directed by Mr Ashok Tyagi fondly called Osho.
I have a great respect for Bala he calls me when Boss needs me and he will tell me Boss wants to see your grand kids too.
Mr Rajesh Khanna has been very fond of my 4 year old street photographer grand daughter Marziya Shakir, he dotes on her and she loves him too.
When he called both of them.. he was intrigued by Nerjis Asif Shakir who had just begun to walk barely 9 month old.
I have been serving Kakaji for a very long time since the passing away of his stylist Moez of Lifestyle
Indomitable Spirit of Islam - Wiladat Bibi Zainab
Indomitable Spirit of Islam - Wiladat Bibi Zainab, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
she stood up valiantly
against terror
she put up a fight
a sword of ali
her birthright
her kutbas
disowning
yazid the accursed
his cowardly might
in his court
all totally quiet
72 heads on spears
watched this sight
sham sham sham
said the fourth imam
all night
wiladat e bibi zainab
indomitable spirit of Islam
shining bright
history of womanhood
she did rewrite
hussain as humanity
she did unite
to the first
majlis e aza
lovers of hussainiyat
she did invite
hussainiyat ke irado
ki pasba bankar
jidhhar jidhar gaye sarwar
udhar gayi zainab
bachakar din ki amanat ko
bhadakte sholon se
khuda ke din par
ehsan kar gayi zainab
The Camera Tells The Truth .. Nothing But The Truth
The Camera Tells The Truth .. Nothing But The Truth, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
236,718 items / 1,983,040 views
memories
of your youth
nostalgically
old wounds
it heals
it soothes
every image
a reminder
silent but mute
a poetic thought
that bears fruits
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Shah-e-Mardan Sher-e-Yazdan Quwat-e-Parwardigar Lafata Ila Ali La Saif Ila Zulfiqar , originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1 ....
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Dargah of Hazrat Syed Ali Mira Datar Unava Gujrat , a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr. HAZRAT SYED ALI MIRA DATAR'S G...
