A diya, diyo, deya, deeya, dia, divaa, deepa, deepam, deep , deepak or saaki is an

oil lamp An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...

made from clay or mud with a

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

wick Wick most often refers to: * Capillary action ("wicking") ** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp ** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts Wick or WICK may also refer to: Places and placename ...

dipped in Oil or ghee. These lamps are commonly used in the Indian subcontinent and they hold sacred prominence in

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, Sikh,

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

and

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

prayers as well as religious rituals, ceremonies and festivals including Diwali.

Traditional use

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

diyas are symbolically lit during prayers, rituals and ceremonies; they are permanent fixtures in homes and temples. The warm, bright glow emitted from a diya is considered auspicious - it represents enlightenment, prosperity, knowledge and wisdom. Diyas represent the triumph of light over dark, good over evil with the most notable example of this being on the day of Diwali. Diwali is celebrated every year to celebrate the triumph of good over evil as told in the Hindu epic, the

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

. Diwali marks the day Lord Shri Rama, Goddess Sita devi and

Lakshmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja () ...

returned home to

Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhya wa ...

after 14 years in exile, away from their home fighting and eradicating evil (Ravana). To welcome Lord Rama,

Goddess Sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...

and

home, citizens of Ayodhya lit up the streets with diyas. Traditionally, diyas are lit every morning within Mandirs. Whilst lighting a diya, some also chant the Sanskrit mantra ''Shubham Karoti Kalyanam:''

शुभं करोति कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसंपदा । शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥ दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः । दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥ Shubham Karoti Kalyaannam-Aarogyam Dhana-Sampadaa , Shatru-Buddhi-Vinaashaaya Diipa-Jyotir-Namostute , , Diipa-Jyotih Para-Brahma Diipa-Jyotir-Janaardanah , Diipo Haratu Me Paapam Diipa-Jyotir-Namostute , ,

Meaning: I pay my salutation (''namaskara'') to the light / lamp which brings auspiciousness; prosperity, good health, abundance of money and wealth, and the destruction of the intellect’s enemy. The light of the lamp represents the Supreme Brahman as well as Janardhana (

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

), let the light absolve the sins, I pay my salutations to this light / lamp. This ''shloka'' is recited while lighting the lamp. Light is considered a symbol of auspiciousness, prosperity, and abundance in many cultures. It is believed that ''deepam'' is the symbol of knowledge.

Festivals

Diwali: The lighting of diyas forms a part of celebrations and rituals of the important day in the Hindu calendar. Houses are decorated with small diyas placed at boundaries and entrances. In fact, the name of Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word Deepavali, which means the row of lights ("deep" means Diya and "avali" means row).Tej K. Bhatia and Naresh Sharma "The Routledge Intermediate Hindi Reader", Routledge, 2015 , 9781317962854 *

Karthikai Deepam Kartika Deepam () is a festival of lights that is observed mainly by Hindu Tamils, and also by adherents in the regions of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Sri Lanka. Celebrated in Tamilakam since the ancient period, the festi ...

: Diyas, also known as deepam in Tamil Nadu, can be lit, especially during the

Worship and prayers

Lit diyas that are placed before Gods during prayer in temples and then used to bless worshippers is referred to as an aarti. A similar lamp called a

butter lamp Butter lamps or butterlamps (; ) are a common feature of Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout the Himalayas. The lamps traditionally burn clarified yak butter, but now often use vegetable oil or vanaspati ghee. The butter l ...

is used in Tibetan

offerings as well.

Hindu rituals

Birth Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...

: The lighting of diya is also part of the Hindu religion rituals related to birth.

Types

In terms of the choice of material, the

kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay int ...

fired earthenware lamps followed by the metallic lamps with multiple wicks, mostly of brass known as ''Samai'', are the most common, though other materials are also used such as

patravali Patravali, also known as Pattal, Vistaraku, Vistar or Khali, are eating plates, bowls or trencher made with broad leaves in India and Nepal. It is mainly made from sal leaves, dhak leaves and bauhinia leaves. It is also made from banyan tree l ...

floating lamp made from leaves or permanent lamps made of stones. In terms of wick design, diyas with one wick are most common, followed by the two wick style, but other variations such as four, five or seven wick lamps are also made. In terms of overall lamps design, the ornamental lamps come in various designs. The iconic

Nachiarkoil lamp The Nachiarkoil lamp, also called Annam lamp or Nachiarkoil Kuthuvilakku, is an ornamental brass lamp made of series of diyas, a handicraft product which is exclusively made by Pather ( Kammalar) community in Nachiyar Koil town in Tamil Nadu, I ...

, also known as ''"Annam lamp"'', is produced exclusively in by the Pather ( Kammalar) community in Nachiyar Koil of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

.PM Narendra Modi gifts Xi Jinping Annam lamp
Times of India, 11 October 2019.Largest collection of traditional diyas (lamps)
World Records India, 09 november 2020.

References