Diya (oil lamp)
A diya ( Hindi दीया dīyā ; also Divaa , Deepa , Deepam or Deepak ) is a simple handcrafted oil lamp made of clay or copper . Primarily simple vegetable oils and ghee are used as fuel , the wick usually consists of a hand-wound cotton thread.
Diyas have their origins in India, where they are used on the one hand in simple dwellings as an inexpensive light source, and on the other hand in the copper version in temples, where they are also ceremonially lit during the pujas . In many Indian households there is also a diya which is lit every morning in front of the altar of the house god.
During the Hindu festival of lights Diwali, which lasts several days, many houses in India are lit exclusively with Diyas, especially in rural areas, whereas electric lamps and fairy lights dominate in cities today. The background is the assumption that the deities Lakshmi and Ganesha only visit those houses that are well lit.
Diyas also play a role as a ceremonial source of light in other religions such as Sikhism or Jainism . In Buddhism , so-called butter lamps are used, instead of vegetable oils, the name- giving yak butter is used here.