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Vedi (Sanskrit:वेदी,romanized: Vedī,lit. 'altar') is the sacrificialaltar in theVedic religion.[1] Such altars were an elevated outdoor enclosure, generally strewed withKusha grass, and having receptacles for thesacrificial fire; it was of various shapes, but usually narrow in the middle.
They were used in various types ofYajna rituals, of which the lengthiest was theagnicayana, lasting twelve days. In Vedic times, offerings, often including animals, were burnt in the fire, and fully consumed by it. This contrasts with modern Hindu offerings to gods, which are all vegetable, and are preserved to be consumed by the devotees (which was also the case in other religions, such asancient Greek religion).
Fire altars remain part of the rituals in someHindu festivals and rites of passage; in particular circling around a sacred fire (saptapadi) remains an essential part ofHindu weddings.
AlthoughAgni, the Vedicgod of fire, has an important place in themandala setting out the plan inHindu temple architecture, in the south-east part of the temple, fire altars are not now a normal part of regularHindu temple rituals. Modern fire sacrifices are covered atHoma rituals.
As deduced from descriptions in ancient texts, the types of vedi were:
Theuttaravedi was in the shape of afalcon (alajacita 'piled up in the shape of the bird Alaja'), and was piled up with bricks in theAgnicayana ritual.
Vedic altars are described in the circum-Vedic texts dealing withKalpa (the proper performance of sacrifice), notably theSatapatha Brahmana, and theSulbasutras say that theRigveda corresponds to an altar of mantras.[2]
Fire altars are already mentioned in the Rigveda. According toTaittiriya Samhita 5.2.3., they are made of twenty-one bricks.
In ŚBM 10.4.3.14-20, the altar is made of 396 (360 + 36)yajusmati (special) bricks, and of 10,800lokamprna (ordinary) bricks. 10,701lokamprna bricks belong to theahavaniya altar, 78 to thedhisnya hearths and 21 to thegarhapatya. Around the altar are 360parisrita stones (261 aroundahavaniya, 78 arounddhisnya, 21 aroundgarhapatya).
ŚBM 10.3.1. describes that the altar is symbolically built withgayatri (24 syllables),usnih (breath, 28 syllables),pankti (mind, 40 syllables),tristubh (ear, 44 syllables),jagati (awakening) (48 syllables) and generative breath. Thegayatri altar's height is to the knees, thetristubh's to the navel and thejagati's to a man's height.
| Layer | Number ofyajusmati bricks in SB |
| 5 | 138 |
| 4 | 47 |
| 3 | 71 |
| 2 | 41 |
| 1 | 98 |
In the Agnicayana ritual, themahavedi (great altar) has a length of 24prakrama in the east, 30 in the west and 36 in the north and south.[3] Inside themahavedi, an altar is placed. In the smaller ritual space to the west of themahavedi (pracinavamsa,pragvamsa), three altars are placed: thegarhapatya (earth, west),ahavaniya (sky, east) anddaksinagni (oranvaharyapacana, southwest). The roundgarhapatya and the squareahavaniya have the same area.[4] TheSquaring the circle problem was also investigated because of such ritualistic considerations.[5] Theahavaniya altar has five layers (citi), representing earth, space and the sky.
The earliest falcon-shaped vedi are dated to the period ofKuninda Kingdom, between 2nd century BCE and 2nd century CE,[6] examples being discovered at Purola,Uttarkashi,[7] andKosambi,Kaushambi.[8]
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