Lamps, Vilakkus, diyas: their importance

Lamps hold a significant place in the Hindu culture and are an integral part of daily prayers and religious ceremonies. Lighting a lamp marks the commencement of any religious ceremony and definitely creates a divine atmosphere. It symbolises the dispelling of darkness and ignorance and the invocation of knowledge and enlightenment. Lamps are lit at dawn and dusk in most households and everyone has a ritual that they follow.

Lamps, also called diyas or vilakku come in a variety of materials and in various shapes, sizes and wick edges too. Nearly every home in India follows the tradition of lighting a lamp everyday to increase the positive energies.

In the south, we have simple lamps that are used for daily worship as well as fancy / elaborate ones such as Ganapathy, Kamakshi Vilakku, Pavai Vilakku, Kutthu Vilakku, Kubera Vilakku etc. Lamps were traditionally made of clay but over time as

with everything else, have evolved and we now find lamps made of silver, brass and even gold being used extensively. It is believed that lighting a lamp made of gold enables improvement and growth in business and is often seen in the homes of Business communities. Silver lamps are lit with the belief that it keeps poverty at bay and safeguards one's wealth. Silver Vilakkus are very often given as gifts in weddings. Brass lamps are most commonly seen at religious ceremonies, mainly due to the larger size and are quite commonly used in Kerala homes. Lamps made of stainless steel lamps are almost never used. In the month of Karthikai (November 15th to December 14th approx), South Indians consider it noble to donate earthen lamps with oil and wicks to temples. They also light these outside their homes during this month.

The oil used in the lamps holds great significance and is considered an offering to the deity being worshiped. Different types of oil are used depending on the purpose of the ritual or ceremony. Sesame oil is the most commonly used for lighting lamps. It is considered auspicious to use cow ghee as well for this, and is usually done during festivals as the belief is that it brings good health and prosperity.

Equally important as the oil / ghee is the wick that is used for the lamp. A lamp with oil or ghee and a wick is usually referred to as Deepam. The most traditional and commonly used wicks are made of pure cotton lint or cotton thread.

Lamps with cotton wicks that are green in colour are lit to appease Mercury and invoke better business and prosperity. It is also believed that red wicks improve the effects of from Mars and helps eradicate debts, diseases and other negative influences.

Some people believe that sins made by 3 generations can be atoned by lighting lamps with wicks made of lotus fibres while others believe that they can escape the ill effects of curses by using wicks made of banana fibre. As with very offering to God, an item once offered cannot be reused. Therefore, the ideal thing to do would be to use a fresh pair of cotton wicks to light the lamp. Also, a rangoli or auspicious, decorative drawing is almost always placed below the lamp

Lighting a wick with 5 wicks is considered extremely auspicious and is very often seen during pujas and festivals. Although it is sufficient to light just the one lamp, it is not an uncommon practise to have a pair of lamps on either side of the deity. It does uplift the ambience! A few important points to be borne in mind are :

1. Always place a brass or silver plate under the lamp.
2. Always have a pinch of turmeric and kumkum on the plate under the lamp
3. The lamp should be adorned with chandan and kumkum on its face
4. The lamp should be lit preferably facing east, but north / north east is equally good.
5. Offer a flower to the Deepam once it has been lit
6. The lamp should be gently put out with a flower or use a stick to pull the wick back.
Lamps hold great significance in the Hindu culture and no occasion is complete without a lamp – be it an auspicious celebration or a somber one. The direction of the lamp, the oil being used, the number of lamps etc may all vary but the symbolism of lighting a lamp remains constant