O is for Oil Lamps

A humble oil lamp burning steadily inside my prayer room is symbolic of my faith and the peace I seek.  By lighting it, I become one with the millions who believe in the sanctity of fire and light.

We Hindus, start the day with a morning prayer by lighting an oil lamp at dawn, the magical hour that has a tinge of joy and pining, melancholy and expectations.  The lamp effectively brightens up my world while the majestic sun begins its journey of yet another eventful day.

I love visiting temples during twilight. The dancing flames of the oil lamps inside the inner sanctum of the temple create an ambiance of tranquility and the image of the deity becomes a peaceful presence that touches the very center of my soul. 

A temple lit with oil lamps during festival (Image Source)

More than just light, the oil lamp is a powerful space cleanser.  Lighting an oil lamp clears the non-physical dirt or negative energy that collects from emotions and negative fields.

A quarrel leaves many negative vibes in the form of anger and frustration in a room long after it is over. In historic places, you can often feel the effects of violence even centuries later. The presence of electronic devices like television also creates negative vibrations in a room. This is the reason why experts advice couples to remove electronic gadgets from their bedroom.

Incense sticks ( Image Source)

Ghee (or clarified butter) lamps are the best space cleansers ever. When you light an oil lamp, even for an hour, it lightens the vibrations and disperses most of the negativity.

Burning an incense stick or agarbattis together with an oil lamp is a pleasant way of raising the positive vibrations; it is protective as well as cleansing.

Use camphor when you require a thorough cleansing. Camphor is powerful and hence should not be used more than once a day. 

Let us not forget that we are spiritual beings on a human journey. May these ancient traditions help us in creating a more fulfilling life.

Image Source

This post is a part of Blogging from A-Z April Challenge.

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge was first held in 2010. The challenge is that we have to post every day of April, except on the four Sundays. April 1st is a theme with letter A, 2nd with letter B and so on till April 30th which will be Z themed. My theme is #Learning Everyday, I post about new random things every day.