India is rich in its heritage, traditional rituals and methods of worship.There is no doubt that every ritual we perform has some or the other benefit beyond divine pleasures and greatness. Likewise, each ritual can also be justified scientifically.
One of the most important of such rituals is to light the Nilavilakku (traditional lamp) at dawn and dusk. According to Indian tradition, this ritual ensures prosperity in the house. Since nuclear families became a part of modern life, even these rituals that must be observed are becoming obscure. Instead of lighting the Nilavilakku(traditional lamp) and praying in the evenings, we have devoted our eyes and hearts to the new world of social media. Consequently, the divine Nilavilakku has become just a decorative object in our homes. As a result of these ritualistic changes, we are now mostly introduced to a new generation that has lost its sense of identity and a spirit of divine energy.
Agni(fire) is the representative of the manifest deity Aditya,The Sun God. All the auspicious Karmas are done in the presence of agni (as Agni Sakshi) with the belief that anything touched by fire becomes pure. A burning deepam(Lamp) is considered to be a symbol of Kundalyagni.
It is said that all Suryadi Nakshatras(all that exists in the universe) have divine jyotis (divine blazes). Among all these, the jyoti from a Deepam is considered to be the universal symbol of God. The presence of the same is attained in the homes by lighting the Nilavilakku on both dawn and dusk. Thus, due to the presence of God, our house becomes protected from the evil forces and our family will have wealth, purity of mind, karmic ability, health, single-mindedness, etc.
The time before sunrise is called as praatah sandhya. After purifying ourselves with a bath, it is necessary to light a Nilavilakku in the pooja room and engage in prayers or meditations at least until the time of Surya Darshan(Sunrise). During Pratah sandhya, nilavilakku is lighted by joining two wicks just like we join our hands facing east direction. In the evening, before sunset, the house should be swept and cleaned, sprinkled with fresh water, and then Nilavilakku should be lighted by joining two wicks as mentioned earlier facing both the east direction and the west direction. Before lighting the Nilavilakku, it must be perfectly clean along with the oil and wick. It is important to light the Nilavilakku with a pure mind and a clean body .It is believed that if married women light the nilavilakku ,it would be bring prosperity. It is also considered to be auspicious to place a handful of flowers in front of the lamp, to apply sandalwood and saffron powder on the lamp, to put flowers garland on it, and to keep a agarbatti burning nearby. The prayer is more beneficial when it is recited by the whole family. Thus, the family becomes more united and harmonious. It has been said by Sri Narayana Gurudeva that those who do not pray in the evening should be given saltless food. Thus, every heart and every family should worship God.
Nilavilakku is considered to be divine which includes panchabhutas,manas,naadam,bindu,kala. Thus the presence of the same can create an auspicious atmosphere at home.
Deepa Jyoti: Parambrahma
Deepo Jyotirjanardana
Deepo Haralame sin
Sandhya Deepanamostute.
Poojari Manoj K Viswanathan
Bengaluru.