[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] lighting lamps at home

[Guest guest]

Dear Balagopal,

The questions are good ones.Normally most Hindus worship lamps of different types like ordinary lamps,some with Mahalakshmy engarved on them.The idea seems to be that by worshipping lamps the darkness of ignorance will go and light of wisdom will come and also the same will bring prosperity.

1) Normally using two wicks on either side of the lamp is the practice.I do like that.On auspicious occasions 5 wicks will be used in a round way each facing different directions.

2) There is no fixed time as far as I am concerned but the same is lit at the time of morning ablutions or pooja and also evening in the prayer room even if there is no pooja performed and normally the same is not done in the eve.

3) People in the southern parts use gingelly oil for lighting the lamps.I think in north India they use mustard oil etc depending on the availability in the region.Generally everywhere in the South gingelly oil is used whether in homes or temples.Some even use ghee but all can't afford the same.

4) That is also left to the persons using the lamps.It can be of one foot high or 4 foot high depending on the users choice.It makes no difference.In special occasions for conducting Bhagawaty Sewa three lamps are used one a bigger one and two small on both sides of the bigger lamp and the archana etc is made to the lamps as if the Devi is present in the same.

5)There is no particular sloka for the same.We used to recite Mahalakshmy or Deepalakshmy stotras..Some say namas all depends on the users choice.

6) Indubitably when you do puja you must use agarbathy to make the place a spiritual one as the scented bathis can hv a soothing effect on the mind and a small deepam arati and finally camphor for full arati.This is to ward off evil things that dominate the place,that is the belief.Lighting is actually to invite God to accept our prayers,I believe.

Apart from that many do Vilakku Pooja and for that spacial procedure is there.But the basic factor is I believe we do lighting to dispel darkness from our mind and infuse light in its place.In olden days when there was no electricity the lamps also acted as a tool for giving light in the night along with other lights like hurricane lamps etc.This is the practice followed in houses but in places like flats where depending on availabilty of space the same can be restricted to a lower level but all the same things shuld be maintained.It is the belief of Hindus that light is another form of Mahalakshmy and using the same in the morn and eve will bring her blessings and prosperity.I don't know why when somebody leaves the body a light is being used behind the head of the body.May be to allow the spirit to get light and dispel its darkness in the next birth.It must also be admitted now a days this practice is terribly restricted in many places as I hv seen in many houses

and they don't bother abt this aspect.May be it is due to modern cultural decay.Such people shuld understand there must be some meaning in the process and for their gud it is better to follow the path shown by our ancestors.Students staying in apts or hostels can just burn agarbathis in the eve or morn according to their convenience if they keep some photo of Deities if the same is not a disturbance to other room mates if more than one student is accomodated and not interested in such things.For them just see the Sun in the early morn with naked eyes is very gud.But it shuld be before 7 am.That will give good brightness to their eyes.That is the formula.

There may be different versions also as with every case and it will be interesting to note the views of others.

 

Hare Krishna.balagopal ramakrishnan <rbalpal wrote:

!!! HARI AUM !!!Most Hindu homes will have some space devoted to'Bhagavans' where we keep pictures and models ofdeities (the puja room). The lamp will be a prominentone and will be lit twice or once a day.It would be usefull if someone can enlighten with infolike:1. how many wicks are to be lighted2. what are the acceptable timings3. what oil is recommended in the sastras/practice4. any suggestion for the size of the lamps5. any special slokas for it like -shubham karoti...6. can other puja materials like camphor, agarbathietc be used at homes or any restrictions thereof?Hope it will be a very usefull info for those who arenot clear about themRegardsBalagopalNarayana Narayana Narayana

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