Offerings Through Fire: A Fire Puja Held in Kalmykia

These images are from today’s “Jinseg” ritual. The monks are dressed in ceremonial robes, all the necessary substances for the fire puja have been prepared,  and everyone gathered is focused…

As a reminder, “Jinseg” is a ritual of making offerings through fire to all Buddhas, protectors, and guardians. According to ancient tradition, 13 special substances are offered into the sacred flame, each carrying its own meaning. Black sesame seeds are cast into the fire with a request to be cleansed of the burden of past mistakes. Rice is offered with the wish that there may be more goodness in the world. Wheat is offered as a shield against illness, and melted butter with the hope for warmth and prosperity, needed not only for oneself but also for everyone around. The monks carefully prepare and purify each substance so that the request is made with sincerity.

It is believed that at these moments, the deities descend to the place where the sacred fire burns to hear the people and support them.

A special and deeply uplifting part of the ritual is the remembrance of those who have passed away. Slips of paper bearing the names of loved ones are consigned to the fire with wishes for a bright path ahead and a fortunate rebirth.

Every year, “Jinseg” brings together a large number of devotees. For them, it is more than a ritual: it is an opportunity to unite the personal with the collective, turning their worries and hopes into a single benevolent wish for the whole world. Even if someone has come for the first time and does not yet know all the words and meanings, simply standing by the fire and thinking of something bright is enough — they already become part of this conversation.