Why do we Light a Diya?

We have all lit up our home with the scared light of the diya over Diwali.  Not a day goes by in our home that the diya is not lit and the incense not burnt. Since ancient times, in every Indian house there is a tradition of lighting the lamp daily in the temple, near the family deities. In some houses it is lit twice a day – at dawn and at dusk. Electricity was not available in the ancient times. It would become difficult to see the deity after sunset. Therefore, the lamps would illuminate the entire temple.

Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness.  Also  knowledge  is a  lasting  inner wealth  by  which  all  outer  achievement  can  be  accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth.

A traditional diya is made from oil or ghee, it has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolises our negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the negative energies get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals.

The burning lamp represents the element of fire. Fire represents purity. Whatever comes in contact with fire is immediately purified. Fire signifies impartiality. It doesn’t distinguish between anything good or bad. Fire represents luminance and brilliance. It acts as a dispeller of darkness. As soon as the fire is lit, darkness goes away. Similarly, the lamp being offered to the deity dispels the darkness inside the heart of the devotee.

Science behind burning a lamp

Ref: Saumyaa Vardhan (Delhi)

When a ghee lamp is lit and kept nearby, it creates an aura of illumination. This radiance of the lamp sets forth electromagnetic waves that open up the mind and activate the sensory areas of the brain. When activated, they enhance the performance of the individual and hence, the person is able to worship the lord with all concentration and attention.

A burning lamp keeps on emitting soot or unburnt activated carbon particles. They work like charcoal, which is a purification agent. They absorb all the impurities and pathogens of the atmosphere on their surface and render them harmless.

The temperature created by the burning of lamps helps in detoxification of the body of the person sitting nearby.

According to Ayurveda, cow ghee is considered to have all the goodness (Sattva Guna). The items which are sattvic in nature are considered to have a calming effect on the brain. They rejuvenate both gross as well as the subtle mind and hence, produce positive vibrations and emotions in the mind. The positive emotions help the person fix his mind on the lotus feet of the supreme lord during the course of the deity worship.

When do you do your Jai Jai with a diya? Wishing you love and light from The Jai Jais


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