Nanoparticles of barium holmium zirconate, a new complex perovskite ceramic oxide, has been synthesized using a modified self-propagating combustion process. The solid combustion products obtained were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction, differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, particle size analysis, surface area determination, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The XRD and electron diffraction studies have shown that the as-prepared powder is phase pure Ba2HoZrO5.5 and has a complex cubic perovskite (A(2)BB'O6) structure with a lattice constant a = 8.428 Angstrom. The transmission electron microscopic investigation has shown that the particle size of the as-prepared powder was in the range 4-16 nm with a mean grain size of 8.2 nm. The nanoparticles of Ba2HoZrO5.5 obtained by the present method could be sintered to 98% theoretical density at 1500degreesC.