Fires were meant to provide heat and light, rather than religious symbolism
Dadi Surti
There were several fire cults in the pre-Zoroastrian period. For religious ceremonies after daylight hours, a fire was essential for fulfilling their requirements and, additionally, providing light and heat. The fire was lit within a specially cleared area and devotees gathered around to worship and attend the priests’ sermons. These early rites and rituals anciently preceded the formal evolution of our fire temples.
This is evident in India from the very early open fire temples at Kalibangan (c 2000 BCE), located on the southern bank of the Ghaggar river in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. The fire altar was a simple......