Indian rituals and routines - Part1

Hi friends, continuing my earlier post “We will save the Earth!”, I would like to explain why we do light lamps in our homes in India. Hardly one can see any house in India without a glowing lamp in side the worship room and entrance of the house both early morning and evening; in some houses one can see continuous lighting (not electrical lamp). Even in temples we used to light lamps with different oils including ghee made of cow milk. As a matter of fact every auspicious or religious function starts with lighting of lamp. We believe light symbolizes knowledge and absence of light or darkness is ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself. Where there is real knowledge, there is no place for ignorance and we believe knowledge is the greatest forms of wealth which one can possess and a knowledgeable human being will never do injustice to mother nature and its creations.

The following Sanskrit prayer will be sung before lighting a lamp, which means I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp; whose light is the Knowledge Principle (the Supreme Lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be achieved in life

Deepajyothi parabrahma
Deepa sarva tamopahaha
Deepena saadhyate saram
Sandhyaa deepo namostute

A lamp lit with natural oil or ghee keeps the surrounding atmosphere cool and creates a pleasant spiritual feeling which in turn produces positive energy and sum total of this positive energy may nullify negative energy created by our fellow men.