Oil or ghee-based lamp used in religious rituals of Indian origin
A diya, diyo, deya,[1]deeya, dia, divaa, deepa, deepam, deep, deepak or saaki (
Sanskrit: दीपम्,
romanized: Dīpam) is an
oil lamp made from clay or mud with a
cottonwick dipped in oil or
ghee. These lamps are commonly used in the Indian subcontinent and they hold sacred prominence in
Hindu,
Sikh,
Buddhist, and
Jain prayers as well as religious rituals, ceremonies and festivals including
Diwali.
Traditional use
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, regarded to represent 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. Diwali marks the day
Rama,
Sita, and
Lakshmana returned home to
Ayodhya after 14 years in exile, after the defeat of
Ravana. According to tradition, to welcome
Rama,
Sita, and
Lakshmana home, the citizens of Ayodhya are said to have lit up the streets with diyas. They are regarded to be associated with
Lakshmi in
Hindu iconography and worship.[2]
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.[3] 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).[4] Diwali is mentioned in early
Sanskrit texts, such as the Padma Purana and the Skanda Purana, both of which were completed in the second half of the 1st millennium CE. The diyas are mentioned in Skanda Kishore Purana as symbolising parts of the sun, describing it as the cosmic giver of light and energy to all life and which seasonally transitions in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik.[5][6]
Karthikai Deepam: Kartika Deepam (
Tamil: கார்த்திகை தீபம், romanized: Kārtikai tīpam) is a festival of lights that is observed mainly by
HinduTamils, and also by adherents in the regions of
Kerala,
Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana,
Karnataka, and
Sri Lanka. Celebrated in
Tamilakam and
Sri Lanka since the ancient period,[7] the festival is held on the
full moon day of the
Kartika (கார்த்திகை) month, called the
Kartika Pournami, falling on the
Gregorian months of November or December.[8] It is marked on the day the full moon is in conjunction with the constellation of
Kartika. It corresponds to the occasion of the
Kartika Purnima, though it falls on a different day due to the correction of equinoxes in the
Tamil calendar.[9] In
Kerala, this festival is known as Trikkartika, celebrated in the honour of Chottanikkara Bhagavati, a form of
Lakshmi. It is celebrated in the name of Lakshabba in the
Nilgiris district of
Tamil Nadu.
Worship and prayers
Lit diyas that are placed before deities during prayer in temples and then used to bless worshippers is referred to as an
arati.
A similar lamp called a
butter lamp is used in Tibetan
Buddhist offerings as well.
Hindu rituals
Birth: The lighting of diya is also part of the Hindu religion rituals related to birth.[10]
Arti (
Hindi: आरती,
romanized: Ārtī) or Arati (
Sanskrit: आरति,
romanized: Ārati)[11][12] is a
Hindu ritual employed in worship, part of a puja, in which light (from a flame lit using camphor, ghee or oil) is ritually waved for the veneration of
deities.[13][14][15]Arti also refers to the songs sung in praise of the deity, when the light is being offered.
Sikhs also perform arti in the form of artikirtan which involves only devotional singing but
Nihang Sikhs specifically perform arti which uses light as well.[16]
Types
In terms of the choice of material, the
kiln 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 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, also known as "Annam lamp", is produced exclusively in by the Pather (
Kammalar) community in
Nachiyar Koil of
Tamil Nadu.[17][18]