Hindu Fire Sacrifice
Fire ceremony for Rachana Khandelwal’s 30th birthday, 2008. This ceremony, held at the Khandelwal home, combined the Khandelwal family's fire sacrifice tradition with ritual chants that Veena Khandelwal learned from other Indians in Charlotte. Photos by Nancy Pierce, Principal Exhibit Photographer.
I have learned more about Indian culture being in America... Each (Indian) state has different ceremonies and rituals, so we have learned from other communities. Our experiences are much richer being in America.
- Veena Khandelwal
Hindu believers perform fire sacrifices to mark religious holidays and important events such as weddings or birthdays. Believers join in sacred chants while casting offerings such as flowers, herbs, grains and incense into the fire. These natural ingredients generate spiritual energy, which purifies and blesses the participants and their surroundings.
