In Hindu tradition, lighting a diya in the evening has been practised for ages. It is believed that lighting the lamps at home not only marks the transition from daylight to twilight, but also removes the negative energy and brings positivity into the household.

But often people make mistakes while performing this ritual that can disrupt the ritual's intent and may bring inauspiciousness.

If you want your evening prayers to create harmony and invite prosperity, avoid these five common mistakes while lighting the evening diya.

1. Never Place The Diya In The Wrong Direction

Never light the diya facing South. According to Vastu, the south direction is governed by Yama (the lord of death) and ancestor spirits (Pitrus). While during some rituals people often place the diya in this direction, daily evening puja lamps must never point here.

What To Do: When placing the diya, make sure it faces East, North, or West. According to Vastu, a diya facing East promotes health, peace of mind, and spiritual focus; a diya facing North is believed to invite financial stability, and a West-facing diya brings positivity and helps in removing debts.

Never light the diya facing South (Image: Pexels)

2. Lighting One Diya Directly From Another

Many people unknowingly light one diya using another to save a matchstick. According to the Shastras, each diya represents an independent offering of fire. If the lamp is lit using another diya, it is believed to conflict and scatter energy.

The practice of lighting lamps off one another is traditionally reserved for a few festivals like Diwali decor or specific community rituals, not for evening worship.

What To Do: Light every sacred lamp using a separate matchstick, an agarbatti, or a small auxiliary brass lighter.

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3. Placing The Diya Directly On The Ground

Never place the lit diya on a cold tile, marble, or wooden floor, as it is seen as a disrespect to the fire element and symbolically disrupts positive vibrations.

What To Do: When placing the lit diya, give the lamp a seat. It can be in any form: a small brass or copper plate, banana leaf or betel leaf or even a small pinch of raw, unbroken rice grains or flower petals.

Never place the lit diya on a cold tile, marble, or wooden floor (Image: Pexels)

4. Using The Wrong Wick For Your Oil Choice

Never use phool batti round wicks with heavy oils, or flat wicks randomly without purpose, because the nature of the oil decides how the fuel burns and how long the flame lasts

What To Do: Match the wick to the offering:

Pure Cow’s Ghee: Best paired with a round cotton wick (Phool Batti) pointing straight up toward the divine.
Mustard or Sesame Oil: Best paired with a straight or flat wick (Lambi Batti) to maintain a steady, carbon-free flame.

Note: Never use synthetic fibres. Always use pure, untreated organic cotton or a red sacred thread wick to please Goddess Lakshmi.

5. Using Chipped, Cracked, Or Unwashed Diyas

Never reuse unwashed brass diyas layered with soot, or diyas that are chipped at the rim. In traditional worship, damaged items are considered Khandit.

If a cracked diya leaks oil, then it is considered inauspicious and indicates loss of vital resources. Additionally, soot buildup causes the flame to sputter, producing dark smoke rather than pure light.

What To Do: Discard cracked diyas immediately. If reusing them, ensure you properly wash, soak and dry them completely beforehand so they don’t absorb the sacred oil.

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Thus, lighting the diya in the evening brings prosperity to the house and removes financial difficulties from life.

FAQs

1. How long should I keep the diya lit?

The evening diya must burn from sunset into dusk, the most important window.

2. What is the best type of oil to use for a diya?

Ghee and sesame oil are the best types of oil to use for a diya.