Light the lamp within

Since I was a child, I have seen my mother lighting the evening lamp in front of the Tulsi plant. As a grown up, I have been doing the same everyday, without really giving it much thought. In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily in front of god. In some houses, it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day - at dawn and dusk and in a few it is maintained continuously. Lamps hold a very special place in our Indian culture. All auspicious functions and moments like daily worship, rituals and festivals and even many social occasions like inaugurations are performed with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right throughout the occasion. 

Lamp is known as Deepa in Sanskrit. The basic form of the word is Deep which means to shine. The word Deep can be explained as the one which is light and enlightens others.

In Skanda puran, to light a lamp or to donate one at temple or an auspicious place is mentioned as a virtuous act.Due to religious importance ‘lighting lamp’ is included among the sixteen steps of worship. During worship lamp should be lighted in front of God. Daily lamp should be lit in front of house deity and Tulsi plant in the courtyard by reciting following slokas,

Shubham karoti kalyanam aarogyam dhanasampada shatrubuddhirvinashaya dipajyotir namostu te

We light a lamp in front of the god and pray for knowledge and prosperity. It is believed, that the one who lights lamp in the evening,goddess Lakshmi bestows wealth and prosperity on him. Continuously lit lamp in front of god is known as Akhanda - Deep. Continuous lighted lamp in the Shiva temple is known as Nandadeep. At all the Vishnu and his incarnation's temples Kakad Arti is performed. Kakad arti is the arti performed at early morning. People offer lighted lamp in dron in the Ganga river.

Light symbolizes knowledge, and it removes darkness and 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. Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness.

The famous saying from Upanishad - Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya, highlights that going towards the lamp or a flame is going towards knowledge. As lamps remove the darkness, knowledge removes the darkness of ignorance. 

Listen to the beautiful evening slokas :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaXPyjMXK-M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZlIIDuTM5g