Vedi (altar)

Vedi (Sanskrit: वेदी, romanized: Vedī, lit. 'altar') is the sacrificial altar in the Vedic religion.^[1] Such altars were an elevated outdoor enclosure, generally strewed with Kusha grass, and having receptacles for the sacrificial fire; it was of various shapes, but usually narrow in the middle.

They were used in various types of Yajna rituals, of which the lengthiest was the agnicayana, 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 as ancient Greek religion).

Fire altars remain part of the rituals in some Hindu festivals and rites of passage; in particular circling around a sacred fire (saptapadi) remains an essential part of Hindu weddings.

Although Agni, the Vedic god of fire, has an important place in the mandala setting out the plan in Hindu temple architecture, in the south-east part of the temple, fire altars are not now a normal part of regular Hindu temple rituals. Modern fire sacrifices are covered at Homa rituals.