How To Light Diya: Big Mistakes To Avoid

Wondering how to properly light a diya at home without making mistakes? I used to watch my grandmother light the Nilavilakku or the traditional lamp at home. Back then, I didn't understand its deeper significance.

Lighting a diya or a lamp embodies our inner journey from darkness to light. The transition represents a deep metaphysical truth: the triumph of light over darkness.

Are you lighting your diyas wrong? Use these tips to when lighting diya or lamp at home.

[Source: Pexels.com]

How To Properly Light A Diya At Home

1. Never place your diya or lamp on the floor to light it in your pooja room. Keep a Thaali/Plate under it. You can keep a small brass plate under the lamp. Don't use that Thaali/Plate for any other purpose once you use it for this purpose.

2. Don't put your diya or lamp in any place where it is not clean earlier. Before you place the diya or lamp, make sure the area around it is clean. Remember, you are invoking the Devatas to visit when you light the lamp at the spot.

3. Don't light the lamp in your home when undergoing 'Pula' such as restrictions due to death in the family whether it is a husband's relative or a wife's relative.

4. Clean the puja lamp daily and avoid reusing the same lamp every day.

5. Avoid using a lamp that leaks oil, drop by drop. It is believed that if oil keeps leaking, your wealth and prosperity will also keep leaking in the same manner.

6. Don't reuse the same wicks when lighting the lamp in your puja room. Clean the lamp and insert new cotton wicks every time you light the lamp.

7. If wicks are leaking oil regularly, change your wicks and opt for lighter cotton wicks so that it doesn't absorb so much oil and leak it.

8. Don't gossip, scold or shout loudly while lighting the lamp. Chant mantras, invoke the blessings of Guru and Kul Devata while lighting the lamp. Chant, "Shree Kuladevta Sharnam" or "Shree Gurubhyo Namah" while lighting the lamp.

9. Do not let the wick burn itself out as 'karinthiri'. It shows a lack of "Shraddha" in our prayers to Devatas. Plus, it is not auspicious for your home.

10. Don't use stale/leftover oil or ghee while lighting diya.

Lighting a diya brings instant comfort and positive energy at home. May your home be filled with the effulgence of Divine Energy whenever you light a diya.

If you found this post useful, check out these posts too!

How Do You Light Deepam At Home?

Which Type of Diya is Good For Home?

Does Something Bad Happen if Diya Goes Off?

Best Time To Light Diya

What does Deepam represent?

Scientific Reason Behind Lighting Diyas

What is OM?

Why Malayalis Light Nilavilakku

Offer Prayers to Lord Ganesha

Story of Lord Krishna and a Thief

Bhima's Devotion

Bhakti: Mirabai's Greatest Wealth

Attukal Pongala

Comments

Most LOVED Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences. [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste. You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...

Best time to light diya

Want to know when is the best time to light diya or deepam at home? In most Hindu homes, 'deepam' or 'diya' is lit at least twice - once in the morning and then in the evening. For both times, brass is considered to be auspicious for lighting deepam or lamp at home. Clay diyas are auspicious for lighting at home. On Fridays, it is considered auspicious to use ghee in a silver lamp. When Should I Start Lighting Diyas? The symbolic shift begins from darkess to light. Therefore, in the evenings, light diya before sunset to usher in divine blessings into your home. What is the purpose of lighting a diya? Light dispels darkness. When we light a diya, we bring light into our hopes and positive energy in our personal spaces. Nothing is more beautiful than Light. At what time should we light diya today? Every morning at sunrise and every evening before or at sunset. An ideal time would be to light the diya at least half an hour before sunset. Can we light diya after 12 PM? In ...

A Book Review: Pervin Saket's novel 'Urmila' is a beautifully crafted, compelling story that you must read

At 4 AM, I almost fell asleep at the New Delhi airport while waiting for my flight to Bangalore. This is when Pervin Saket’s novel titled ‘Urmila’ caught my eye. I was suddenly wide awake. I was glued to the book ‘Urmila’ right from the moment I found my seat. Pervin Saket’s novel ‘Urmila’ makes the reader pause and wonder after every chapter, “What’s going through Urmila’s mind now? What will happen next?” Here’s a sentence that I particularly loved: “ The moment a desire dies is a sharp one. As pointed as the splutter of a mustard seed, as shrill as a whine, as heavy as a star on a clear night. ” Here’s another one: “ Marriage is an act of balance. On the one hand, you feel right about something and you make a decision. On the other hand, once you decide, you make it right. ” ‘Urmila’ is a contemporary take on a woman’s inner journey and the physical experience of a loveless marriage, where her spouse is more devoted to his sibling. The au...

Does something bad happen if the diya goes off?

Is it bad if a diya goes off? This is a frequently asked question among people who light the evening lamp or diya regularly in their puja room. [READ: How To Light Deepam at Home and Why Malayalis Light Nilavilaku ] [Image by Sachin Yadav @ Pixabay] Why Did My Lamp Suddenly Turn Off? Where there is faith, there should be no scope for fear - this is Bhagawan Krishna's message to Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. That represents strength of Bhakti. [READ: Bhakti: Meera's Greatest Wealth] Consider another example in the tradition of Bhakti. When Prahlada, a young lad, is targeted by his own father, he remains calm under every situation. When he is thrown into the sea, the wise lad is reminded that the sea is the abode of Shriman Narayana. [ READ: Amazing Stories of Lord Shiva ] H...

Korean Instant Noodle Consumption Second Highest in the World

Who doesn't love noodles? Koreans rank as no 2 globally for instant noodles consumption! According to World Noodle Organisation, Korea is ranked the second largest consumer of instant noodles, after Vietnam. This trend raises health concerns but experts suggest that adding vegetables and other ingredients can address the drawbacks of consuming refined carbohydrates and salty soup. Those who are prediabetic are advised to add an egg whenever they eat noodles. [READ: This Korean Bestseller Opens a New Window] [Source: ikhsan baihaqi @ Unsplash] What Makes Instant Ramen Noodles Popular? Worldwide, Ramen noodles are popular as it is delicious, easy to customise according to regional preferences and most importantly, you can prepare it in few minutes. Most spicy Korean instant noodles are enjoyed in different p...

Petals!

Search This Blog