Diwali Diyas: Why Do We Light Them & 5 Cool Diyas To Buy Online
Diwali is the most popular and highly celebrated festival in India. Almost every year, it’s celebrated around the months of October or November. A new level of enthusiasm and energy keeps people busy during this period. People flock to the market weeks before shopping for diwali diyas, lamps, lights, finer clothes, sweets and other gifts for loved ones. On diwali, houses are lit up with diyas, lamps and electric lights. The term ‘Diwali’ literally translates to ‘row of lights’. It’s no surprise that wonder lights and traditional earthen diyas hold a lot of importance in the festival.
A Path Towards the Light
In many religions and cultures around the world, light finds a mention. It is universally associated with goodness and purity. Light is believed to drive away darkness and evil spirits too. It is an important part of various rituals and festivals, especially the ones celebrated in India.
Diwali is fondly referred to as the festival of lights. It is celebrated on the new moon day when there’s absolute darkness everywhere. People light diyas and lamps to overcome darkness. In fact, Diwali is celebrated to mark the triumph of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and light over darkness.
The North Remembers
There are many legends and mythological literature that tell the story of Diwali. Perhaps the most popular legend is the one primarily adopted by North India, which is Ramayana. Lord Rama, who was an incarnate of Lord Vishnu, returned to his home land, Ayodhya, after an exile of fourteen years. During the period, he was on a journey with his wife, Sita, and brother, Laxman. He returned home after defeating the evil King Ravana, who had abducted his wife in the name of pride.
With help from an army of monkeys, he defeated Ravana. Lord Rama was welcomed by his kingdom, Ayodhya, in a celebratory fashion. Each house in Ayodhya was lit with Diyas to welcome Lord Rama, Sita and Laxman. Each house’s altar in Ayodhya was lined with earthen diyas to help the trio return to their palace in Ayodhya.
The Other Stories
In the Southern Part of India, Diwali is a celebration of victory of one demon king Narakasura by Goddess Durga. Hence, people lit up diyas, lamps and lights on Narak Chaturdashi to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Diwali is celebrated by Sikhs and Jains too. The people of these communities decorate their homes with Diyas, candles and electric lights. Places of prayers, such as Gurudwaras and Jain Temples, are also adorned with Diyas on Diwali.
The significance of Diyas hasn’t reduced over the years. Earthen diyas are lit using a cotton wick, where unrefined oil or ghee serves as fuel. These lit diyas have various symbolic meanings. To simply put, they signify all the connotations associated with Diwali, which is to take the path of enlightenment and attainment of positive energy.
Importance of Diyas
Light holds a very significant meaning in Hinduism. Light signifies purity, goodness, knowledge, good fortune, prosperity and power. The very existence of light means the destruction of darkness and evil spirits. Since Diwali is celebrated on the darkest night of the month, millions of Diyas are lit by those who celebrate Diwali to do away with the darkness. It is believed that evil forces and spirits become stronger when there is darkness, and thus, diyas are lit to ward off the evil energy.
It is believed that in Diya, the wick of cotton signifies the human spirit while ghee or oil represents the five evils of human life - desire, anger, greed, attachment and ego. The diya lights up all that is around when the oil is burnt by the wick. Hence lighting diya signifies the burning of the five evils. Thus, it is said that by lighting a diya in each corner of the house, one not only gets rid of evil spirits but also the five evils of materialism, worldliness and falsehood.
Interestingly, as per Indian traditions, one must purchase diyas on Ashwin Purnima, which falls 15 days before Diwali, and is a night of full moon. It is advised to soak these diyas in water until they are lush red and saturated. Post then, these Diyas are believed to be auspicious and perfect for Diwali.
Five Cool Diwali Diyas You Must Buy This Year
It is said that diyas have the power to invoke gods and goddesses who grant us with umpteen amounts of prosperity, health and happiness. On the night of Diwali, it is believed that if one lets their main door to the house open and lines it up with Diyas, Goddess Laxmi visits the house and blesses it with wealth and prosperity.
- Earthen Clay Diyas – These are essentially the traditional Diwali Diyas; affordable and easily available. Earthen Clay Diyas are as old as the festival of Diwali. Handcrafted and artisanal. These are the most common,and no list of diyas is complete without their mention.
- Porcelain Diyas – These diyas are made out of porcelain clay. Essentially a newer trend in the market, these come in various shapes and sizes. They are your best bet if you want the feel of a traditional diya with a posh look.
- Figurine Diyas – Both functional and novel, figurine diyas come in various figures, particularly of gods and goddesses. These can be used for decorative purposes after Diwali too. They come in different materials like brass, silver and even gold.
- Electrical Diyas – As apparent, these don’t require fuel and run on electricity. Coming in gold and silver fixtures, these look like your real diwali diyas. The coolest part about these diwali diyas is that you can reuse them year after year and don’t need to burn extra cash.
- Easy Diyas - The coolest Diyas on the Internet. Easy Diyas are made out of either pure ghee or refined oil. They leave nothing but a dot upon burning. They come with a fixed lifetime of burning. So all that one needs to do is a put timer on their phone to light a new easy diya. Buy them on SwahaProducts
Organic diyas are the most eco-friendly option to celebrate Diwali without losing any of its authentic traditions and rituals. This Diwali, purchase a pack of these diyas from SwahaProducts to light up your homes with safe, environment-friendly and beautiful diyas.