Agni, is the Hindu God of fire

Agni, is the Hindu God of fire, and is worshipped from time immemorial – worshipped during the Vedic age. There are more hymns to Agni in Rig Veda than any other God. One of the most important roles of Agni is that He is the messenger between humans and gods. Fire is considered one of the five elements (Pancha Bhutas) in Hinduism.

Various theories are mentioned in scriptures regarding the origin of Agni. The most important among them is that Agni is the son of Earth and Sky. He is also referred as the offspring of Brahma.

Occasionally he is also mentioned as the son of Aditi and Rishi Kashyapa. Sometimes his is origin is also associated with Rishi Angiras.

In modern painting and sculptures Agni is represented as red or black in color, His vehicle is animal Ram. He is also guardian of the southeastern direction among the eight guardians of the directions.

Some of the important episodes associated with Agni in Hindu Scriptures

Skanda Son and Agni

Skanda or Muruga is sometimes referred to as son of Agni. This is because Agni is believed to have carried Muruga before his birth. Youcan read the story here.

Shami Tree and Agni

The holiness of Shami tree is because Agni is believed to have resided on it. You can read the story here.

Vadavagni

Vadavagni is the fire that resides below the ocean – You can read the Story of the Agni below the Ocean here.

Agni and Gandhiva Bow of Arjuna

Agni is believed to have given Gandhiva bow to Arjuna. This is because Arjuna helped Agni in burning Khandava Prastha. (You can read the story here.)

Agni and Maya Sita

It is also believed that Agni had hid original Sita and Ravana had carried away Maya Sita. Agni returned Mata Sita during the Agni Pariksha episode. You can read the story here.

Nila, the monkey who helped in building the bridge in Ramayana, is believed to the be the son of Agni.

One of the Puranas, Agni Purana, is named after Agni.

Rahu Ketu Puja at Srikalahasti Temple in Andhra Pradesh

Rahu Ketu Puja at Srikalahasti Temple is performed to ward off inauspiciousness in life, which arises due to the bad positioning of Navgrahas Rahu and Ketu in one’s horoscope. The popular belief is that performing the puja at Srikalahasti Temple in Andhra Pradesh in highly meritorious.

The ritual is mainly performed on Sunday and Monday. Another auspicious day chosen to perform the puja is Amavasya or No moon day. The puja is performed during Rahu Kalam – the most inauspicious time in a day as per Hindu astrology.

The New Indian Express writes about the puja 

Kalahasthi is popular for its ‘Rahu-Ketu’ puja, which draws not just Indians, but also NRIs and foreigners from all over the world, especially Russia. 

It may not be unsurprising, therefore, that the revenue earned through the puja exceeds the donations gained through the hundi by almost five times. While collection through hundi stood at Rs 7.25 crore during 2011-12, the revenue generated through ‘Rahu-Ketu’ pujas stood at Rs 30.23 crore for the same period.

Though there are many Shaivite temples situated across the country, Srikalahasti is the most popular for performing the ‘Rahu-Ketu’ puja as devotees trust all obstacles in their lives to disappear and be blessed with a life of health and wealth if they perform the puja at the temple, which is located on the banks of Swarnamukhi. 

“We were advised by our elders to have the ‘Rahu-Ketu’ puja performed here, where the Navagrahas (nine planets) are ruled by Lord Shiva. Every year we perform the ritual, especially before starting a new work, so as to avoid unfavourable circumstances,” Rukmini, a housewife in Tirupati said. 

Even famous celebrities from films, sports and politics perform the Dosha Nivarana puja.
The ritual, which lasts for about 40 minutes, is usually carried out during rahukalam (the inauspicious time), as devotees consider it more favourable to perform the puja during that period, especially on Sundays and Mondays. 

People from Tamil Nadu find performing the puja on Amavasya (new moon day) more auspicious.