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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.


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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.

11. Avoid using poor quality puja items especially oil. This will affect your wealth.

12. Don't blow or snuff out your Diya at the end of the puja. Use a leaf or tug gently using a matchstick so that it goes off. Do not to blow it out.

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

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