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How long do you let your diya burn?

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
I've read a few different things:

1. Don't leave the diya lit when you leave the puja/shrine area.

2. Don't purposely extinguish a diya.

3. Use only enough ghee to perform the puja and let the diya use up the ghee and self-extinguish. What is 5 or 10 mins. worth of ghee, a Tbsp, tsp?

4. Let the diya burn perpetually. One of the guys I work with is from Gujarat and said it's one thing if you live in a brick house in India, but otherwise we know it's not safe to leave an open flame unattended.

Personally I like the altar illuminated all evening and let the diya self-extinguish, even if it takes a few hours. My shrine is in the common area of the house, so even when I am watching tv, I am in the area with the diya lit. The problem is that I am not vegetarian and I feel there's something improper if I have a non-veg meal while the diya is lit.

I keep the diya filled with ghee, light it and extinguish it by a wave of my hand (breath is impure). But I read that's improper. So how much ghee do you actually use for 5-10 mins. of puja, or for meditation so it self-extinguishes? Or is all this a ritualistic non-issue, and just do whatever you do with love and devotion?
 

Wannabe Yogi

Well-Known Member
I keep the diya filled with ghee, light it and extinguish it by a wave of my hand (breath is impure).

This is how I taught I have always done it this way. I have seen others from different sects also do it this way.

The Mandir I go to they leave the lights burning all the time. Thats because They also use it to start the yajna. They started the fire once by rubbing two sticks together years ago. This way we can do daily yajna with out taking hours and hours to start the fire.
 
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Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
Thanks. I thought there wasn't anything wrong with lighting it then extinguishing it. After all, when the puja is finished, the deities "depart". In mandir since it is Their house, I suppose the lights would always burn.
 
Yes, generally breath is impure; I was taught that it was the 'devotee way' to blow out birthday candles using a paper plate to extinguish the candle flames rather than one's breath.

When leaving home though, best to extinguish it. But at home, it's generally said that one leaves the lamp burning.

I kind of throw 'Vedic' necessities out and use tealights instead. XD I'm already financially in crisis; I do not need to complicate things further by regularly purchasing ghee, let alone making it. XD
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
I'm loathe to admit that ghee really is a pain in the *** to make and use. I prefer using tea lights in my little brass diya. I unscrew the wick support, which leaves a cute little cup. The tea light sits perfectly.

:: Glittering Diya :: - on Rudraksh Ratna-Rudraksha necklace,Yantra,Malas,Hindu Meditation Items

The tea lights burn for about 3 hours then self-extinguish. As I said, I like having the altar illuminated after prayers, while I am still home. I also light tea light candles in other places where I have deities, though those lights are not "offerings", only for illumination, nor do they get incense. Only the altar gets an offering of light and incense.

I have a couple of others of these brass diyas. I use them for incense holders (agarbattis stand beautifully in the wick holder, and the cup catches most of the ashes :)).
 

Andal

resident hypnotist
I will let the light burn out on it's own if I'm gong to be home with it. If not I extinguish it with a flower I keep apart from the flowers offered in puja.

Ghee is expensive and can be hard to get depending on where you are at. If I have ghee I'll use it. If I don't then I will use sesame oil.

Aum Hari Aum!
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I use Canola oil. Works fine. If you shop around a lot, you can get those hanging lamps with a reservoir that may last 10 hours or so. I had one for a awhile, but it was too much of a hassle. The larger kuthavillakus will last at least 6 hours anyway, if you just have one wick burning.
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
What I'll do from now on is leave the lamp burning while I am home. I've made my own ghee a couple of times. Even though I said it's a pain in the *** to make, it's not that bad, really. You just have to keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn. I don't even bother skimming the froth. It seems to dissipate on its own. Then I strain it through cheesecloth. It has come out crystal clear, golden yellow. But I don't think I will bother with it anymore. All I really use it for is the diya(s). True, oil works just fine.
 
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