Oct 18, 22 By Gogoi

What is the Significance of Diyas & Lights in Diwali?

The festival of Diwali is no ordinary time of the year. It’s one of the most anticipated phases that everyone in India looks forward to. It’s a time for massive celebration, happiness, fun, and enjoyment. Family, friends, colleagues, and all others connect with each other to wish everyone happiness, and good luck and express their gratitude towards them. They exchange gifts and eat a lot of sweets and Diwali-specific food items. Another important aspect of the Festival of Diwali is the lighting of diyas and candles to lighten up your space across your home, office, shop, etc. People also light up earthen lamps and practice a lot of other ways to light up their spaces. 

In this blog, let’s explore what is the significance of lighting diyas and candles during Diwali and why it is considered such an auspicious practice. 

Diyas and Candles Are a Symbol of Purity and Goodness.

Diwali is the Festival of Lights. It’s known that way because it signifies the return of Lord Ram and Devi Sita to their home after spending 14 years in exile. So, everyone did a grand celebration with lights and diyas to celebrate their homecoming.

We light diyas and candles during Diwali to denote the eliminating of all darkness from our lives and moving towards the light. It means that we hope and pray for all the bad things in our lives to end soon and only happiness and peace shall prevail in everyone’s lives. 

Every year, we celebrate Diwali on the New Moon day which is a time of pure darkness. Lighting the Diyas everywhere during Diwali is a means to end this darkness and spread light everywhere. 

In spiritual and religious terms, it’s said that darkness powers the evil forces and spreads negativity all around. So, lighting diyas is a way to eliminate dark energy and channel positivity across all aspects of your home and life.

The lighting of diyas during Diwali also stands for getting past all your negative feelings such as anger, greed, etc. It’s an occasion to remove all impurities from your mind and channel your energy toward the good things in life. An initiative for good luck and being positive.

Diwali / Deepawali stands for lighting diyas in rows at your space. They are arranged horizontally in rows one after the other to mark many things. Lighting diyas also symbolizes the prevailing of knowledge over ignorance and the spreading of hope for better things in life. Hence, they also make for great Diwali Gifts for your loved ones!

Now Let’s Come to What the Diya Means Structurally.

The Diya is composed of the overall clay structure which can be taken as analogous to the human body. 

Then there is the oil that we put in the diyas. We can take this analogous to impurities present in the human mind and heart. 

On the other hand, the cotton in the Diya is a symbol of the soul that resides in our bodies. 

So overall lighting a Diya resembles illuminating our inner self with good and positive feelings and getting rid of all the negatives and evil thoughts. It’s also a resemblance of caring more towards the other person rather than being materialistic in life. 

It encourages us to leave behind all our grudges and sadness and move on in life with a new, fresh and positive mindset. The light of the Diya is also a reminder to care about your loved ones, friends, and family unconditionally.

We light up the diyas during Diwali either in the late evening or when it’s completely dark outside. These are the times when it’s considered that the negative energies are at their peak level. Lighting a Diya helps to remove this negative energy and bring positivity into your home. 

Everywhere we keep at the front entrance, be it our home, office, etc. This is because the Diya not only protects the surrounding from negative energies but also as a guiding light for others. Out of all the elements, fire is the one that helps in achieving absolute purity and removing all the bad things. So, lighting diyas During Diwali resembles the act of purification of surroundings too.

Lighting Diyas and Candles in the House is Mandatory During Laxmi Puja

Diwali is the time when the majority of families perform the Laxmi Puja. They worship the goddess Laxmi and ask for her blessings to maintain a happy life in all aspects, especially on the financial front. Lighting a Diya is also a significant ritual during this Laxmi Puja and is considered highly auspicious. 

Any type of Puja that carries spiritual significance is incomplete with lighting diyas. So is the Laxmi Puja. 

People light up the diyas throughout the entire duration of the puja until all the rituals are completed. It is then left as it is for it to stop burning on its own after a couple of hours.

You Can Use Different Types of Oils to Light Up Your Diyas on Diwali

Different households use different types of oil to light up their diyas on Diwali. Some use Mustard Oil, while others use ghee. Others may use sesame oil, neem oil, etc.

Using mustard oil helps to purify the air and spread a pleasant aroma in the surroundings. 

Neem oil when used in Diyas helps to repel all types of insects.

On the other hand, some may use sesame oil which is considered highly pure and a replacement for cow ghee also.

You can use any type of ghee or oil to light up your diyas during Diwali.

Lighting Diyas and Candles on Diwali Symbolizes Prosperity and Success.

This Diwali light up your home with the Diyas to spread positivity all around and spread happiness. It’s time to remove all negativities from your inner self and clear your mind of all the impurities. 

Steer towards positivity and bring prosperity and success in your life by doing good and receiving the best.

At The Artisan Emporium, we have an exclusive collection of Diwali items that you can use to light up your home. Made of the finest quality raw materials and handcrafted by highly skilled artisans.