In India, almost every household has a custom of lighting a Deepam or Diya twice a day — in the morning and evening as a part of prayer. All ceremonies, daily worship rituals, auspicious functions, religious occasions as well as new ventures start with lightning of the lamp. Diya is essential in Hinduism because it signifies purity, goodness, good luck and power. The presence of light means the non-existence of darkness and evil forces.

There is a deeper significance to the diya. The oil in the diya symbolises the dirt in the human mind — such as greed, jealousy, hatred, lust etc — which human beings tend to nurture. The cotton in the diya is symbolic of the atma or the self or the soul. The diya presents light when the oil is burnt by the wick. Hence, lighting of the diyas signifies that one needs to get rid of the selfish and materialistic thoughts. This frees one from all forms of sadness, guiding the path to enlightenment and to connect with the Supreme Being

Art by @crazydoc