Petals!

Wondering how to block negative energy at home?   As a child, I used to watch my mother and my aunts light the evening nilavilakku every day. In those days, OTT platforms and TV channels were mostly absent. Today, I appreciate and respect their unwavering routine, their deep reverence for Sandhya Vandanam or prayers at the time of sunset and their Bhakti. [ Connect on Facebook ]  [Subscribe to Madhura Aksharam podcast ] According to Jyothish Shastra, which is revered as the ancient Vedic science, our homes are not just physical spaces, but energy fields that can nurture or deplete us. Just as we have daily baths to cleanse our bodies, it is essential to purify our living spaces and to ensure a flow of positive energy. [ READ: How do you light Deepam and Best time to light Diya ] Blocking negative energy is a daily essential practice for your well-being.  How do I remove negative energy in my home? Open your windows every morning . Let the Sun's energy cleanse it. T...

Many of us make the mistake of being 'part time devotees' - of course, we are busy, we have important work, personal commitments and we are too exhausted by it. At the end of the day, we don't even feel like lighting the lamp or praying. Sometimes, we begin to think how does lighting a lamp bring a difference to our already hectic lives? [READ: How Do You Light Deepam and Best Time to Light Diya ]                                                [Image by Julia Volk @ Pexels] As I ponder about this, my view is that the problem isn't with the lamp or the light - the problem is our 'know-it-all' attitude of self-inflicted superiority.  Unknowingly, we live in a society that thrives on 'showing off' and less on the subtle aspects of life, the smaller joys and delights of real life. Which is where something as seemingly 'small' and 'mundane' as lighting a lamp becomes ...

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. Can we light diya with sunflower oil? No, do not use sunflower oil for lighting diya. Can I use cooking oil to light diya? No, you should not use cooking oil to light diya. Which oil to use for daily diya? Use sesame or gingelly oil for daily diya. What to burn in a diya? Use ghee or sesame oil or mustard oil. Can we put coconut oil in diya? Yes, you can put coconut oil in diya. Which deepam oil is best for poo...