Fire has always been a symbol of purity and brightness. There is no certain information about how humankind first got acquainted with fire. Probably when he first met fire, he was afraid and tried to protect himself against it. He was hurt by embers of the fire, however, when he discovered its benefits, he sought the ways of using it. The first people should have been inspired by the burning heat of the sun, lightning, volcanoes and forest fires. Many legends (myths) have been proposed about the origin of the fire. In Greek mythology, the god Zeus kept fire in his authority. Prometheus, who wanted to present fire for the benefit of people, stole fire from Mount Olympus and distributed it. He was prominent as a thief of fire and as a result, was tortured to death. According to these legends, the fire was brought to earth by a hero. Hence, human sanctified fire and believed that it could protect him in the best way. The holy fire cult was first seen in Persians history and some sources, in which worship of the fire is referred to as Zoroastrianism. People had fire-temples used as a place of worship in the mountains. The widest manifestation of the god of fire and cult in the belief system of many tribes has been in India, which is still relevant today. There are also the gods who gave fire to people and the most obvious example of the concretization of fire as divine power is Agni, the god of fire in India (Jayaram, 2009). All fires in India are attributed to Agni, who is one of the thirty-three gods in the Indian pantheon. The votives are always offered in his name. It is believed that it shines like the sun, its glory is like the lightning of the rain cloud, the dawn, and the sun’s rays. It shines even at night and destroys darkness with its rays. People worship Agni for wealth and a long life.
Fire has always been at the forefront of many ceremonies of Indian society. When the child is born, the fire is made inside the house and the child is brought into contact with the smoke of the fire. Thus, it is aimed to expel evil spirits of various forms. Similarly, fire is an indispensable element of marriage ceremonies. First, the bride’s hand is given to the groom by her father and the young couple sits behind the fire. After, the groom’s hands rest under the hands of the bride and the bride’s brother pours rice into the bride’s hands. Rice and prayers slowly fall into a sacred fire called Agni. In the end, the bride turns around the fire with the help of the groom and they make commitments to each other. Pooja ritual in Hinduism is one of the common worships in Hindu houses every day. The lamp that is lit all day is moved circularly in front of the object symbolizing god and then around home residents. In special days or events, Pooja is done to honor guests. The fires and therefore the lights used during this ceremony symbolize the removal of darkness and ignorance. In the same way, fire plays an important role in cremation ceremonies which are called ‘Antyeshti sanskar’ (Das, 2012). According to Hindu beliefs, the performed funerals play an important role in passing the soul of the deceased into another body (reincarnation) or easily attaining salvation in later life. The main theme of sacrifice ceremonies is also fire. The ritual texts refer to various periods that are suitable for raising the sacred fires. By making these ceremonies they believed it will bring abundance to the community. In the early stages of Hinduism, fire (Agni) was seen as the apostle of the gods on earth, and the presentations of the ceremonies were delivered to the gods by fire. It is believed that, like other presentations, man would be transmitted to the gods by fire after death.
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Additionally, in ancient India, the woman had to be cremated with her dead husband according to ‘sati’ ritual. In this way, it was believed that the chastity of the woman was preserved after her husband. The story of Rani Padmavati and brave women who committed ‘jauhar’ or self-immolation to protect their honor after their King was killed is very famous around India and there is a film based on this fascinating legend. According to these beliefs, after this religious ceremony, the woman unites with her husband in the sky. In this way, besides the benefits, fire has also led to the emergence of several traditions that cost human life.
To conclude, throughout history, the belief in fire has existed in dead or living religions. Since the early ages, this belief has been heavily influenced by societies and it has been the symbol of cleanliness, purity, and power in many religions. Although it was initially feared, it became an indispensable belief of people. As in Hinduism, even today the belief in fire continues to influence people’s life. In any event that is good for them, they consider fire as an instrument or protector in this case. They believe that fire, the symbol of purity brings blessings to them and their families.
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