Eternal Flames – Sacred Fire Temples, Akhand Jyoti, and Ritual Fires of India

India's spiritual fabric is a rich brocade laced with strands—earth, water, air, sky, and fire. Amongst these, fire occupies a particularly sanctified position. It is not merely a material force but a living metaphor of purity, sacrifice, divinity, and eternal continuity. Fires blaze with deep, culturally rooted spiritual, and ritualistic meaning in temples, houses, and holy places all over the nation.

Fire as Divinity – From Vedas to Zoroastrianism

The earliest traces of fire worship can be found in the Rigveda, where Agni is worshipped as an intermediary between human beings and immortals. All the Vedic yagnas till date pay homage to this divine function. 

At the same time, Zoroastrianism brought to India by Persian refugees called Parsis has the venerated institution of fire as a omniscient purifier and guardian. Their Mumbai and Gujarat Agiaries (Fire Temples) to mention a few are host to centuries-old flames burning without abatement.