Fire itself officiates a havan — Agni, understood in tradition as the divine witness who carries each offering upward on its smoke. Avyani's Master Samagri Catalogue records eleven items across havan samagri, wood and fuel, built around two mandatory essentials.
Fire rituals draw on a distinct set of dry, combustible materials — resins, wood and fuel — offered as ahuti into the sacred fire. Agni, the fire itself, is traditionally understood in Vedic tradition as a witness and carrier, bearing each offering upward on its smoke. Avyani's Master Samagri Catalogue records nine havan samagri items and two wood and fuel items, eleven in total, built around two mandatory essentials.
The Core Mix
Havan Samagri Mix (हवन सामग्री), mandatory, the ready-made blend of herbs and wood offered into the fire, and Samidha (समिधा), mandatory, the sacred wood itself, typically a mango, peepal or shami mix, together form the foundation of every havan described in our Homam, Havan and Yajna guide and our Havan Samagri: What You Need for a Fire Ritual guide.
Resins
Guggal (गुग्गुल) and Loban (Benzoin Resin) (लोबान), both optional dry resins, are offered as fragrant ahuti into the fire, connecting to our Homam, Havan and Yajna guide.
Sweetening the Fire
Jaggery (Gud) (गुड़), optional, is offered as ahuti to sweeten the offering into the flames.
Fuel
Cow Dung Cakes (Kande) (कंडे), optional, are a traditional dry fuel that keeps the havan fire burning steadily throughout the ritual.
Tree-Specific Samidha
Bilva Wood Samidha, optional, is used specifically for Shiva Homa, connecting to our Shiva Rituals guide. Shami Wood Samidha, optional, is used specifically for Shani and Navagraha homas, connecting to our Navagraha and Dosha Nivaran guide. Mango Wood Samidha, Palash Wood Samidha and Peepal Wood Samidha are the remaining optional tree-specific samidhas, each carrying its own ritual association across different homas.
Havan Samagri, Wood and Fuel at a Glance
| Item | Hindi | English | Mandatory / Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilva Wood Samidha | बिल्व की समिधा | Bilva Wood Sticks | Optional |
| Cow Dung Cakes (Kande) | कंडे | Cow Dung Cakes | Optional |
| Guggal | गुग्गुल | Guggal Resin | Optional |
| Havan Samagri Mix | हवन सामग्री | Havan Samagri Mix | Mandatory |
| Jaggery (Gud) | गुड़ | Jaggery | Optional |
| Loban (Benzoin Resin) | लोबान | Benzoin Resin | Optional |
| Mango Wood Samidha | आम की समिधा | Mango Wood Sticks | Optional |
| Palash Wood Samidha | पलाश की समिधा | Palash Wood Sticks | Optional |
| Peepal Wood Samidha | पीपल की समिधा | Peepal Wood Sticks | Optional |
| Samidha | समिधा | Sacred Wood Sticks | Mandatory |
| Shami Wood Samidha | शमी की समिधा | Shami Wood Sticks | Optional |