My Indian Wedding - Laaja Homam

As in the previous step, during Laaja Homam (Offering Puffed Rice to Sacred Ceremonial Fire), the priest chanted an ancient hymn of praise to the God of Fire (Agni) while we placed offerings into the fire. However, this time the offering consisted of rice, not honey, and it was done by me, not Anil.

I had to cup my hands and Bartek, who represented my father, was filling them with puffed rice. Then I had to throw the puffed rice into the sacred fire as havis (offering) to Agni. By this offering, we prayed to Agni, the ultimate witness to the marriage, for happiness and prosperity in our life together.


Here Bartek is filling my hands with rice. Every time I put the puffed rice into the fire it would make it explode, so I asked Bartek to give me as little rice as possible. Of course he did not listen to me and gave me even more rice than before!