Is it auspicious or inauspicious to re-light old lamps on Diwali 2025? Will the earthen lamps used in last year’s puja bring light or negative energy this time? Know which lamps can be lit again.
Diwali Lighting Rules: Diwali, the festival of lights, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and bringing happiness and prosperity to homes. On this day, Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are worshiped and houses are illuminated with the light of lamps. However, many people are confused about whether it is auspicious to re-light old earthen lamps from last year or those used in other pujas on Diwali. Let us know what are the rules on this subject and what is the correct method of lighting lamps.
Should old lamps be lit again on Diwali?
rules of earthen lamps
- For general puja: It is generally considered auspicious to use earthen lamps only once. Earthen utensils are not reused once they are used in worship.
- On Diwali: Reusing earthen lamps used in the main Diwali puja is considered inauspicious. It is believed that the soil used in puja absorbs negative energy, hence it should not be reused.
- Yama lamp: On the night of Dhanteras or Narak Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali), the old lamp lit for Yama can be re-lighted with mustard oil. It is dedicated to Yama and is lit to protect the family from untimely death.
Rules for lamps made of other metals (e.g., brass, silver)
If you use lamps made of brass, silver or other metals in the puja room or home, they can be used again by cleaning them thoroughly, repurifying them with fire. Burning them again is considered auspicious and also shows responsibility towards the environment.
Do not light a broken lamp
Be it Diwali or any other puja, lighting a broken (Shakhand) lamp is considered extremely inauspicious. It is believed that lighting a broken lamp leads to loss of money and negativity.
What to do with old lamps?
- Immersion: After Diwali puja, immerse the earthen lamps in a holy river or place them under a holy tree (like Peepal or Tulsi).
- Reuse (Decoration): If you don’t want to dispose of these, you can use them for home decor or artistic purposes.
Important rules for lighting lamps on Diwali
- Attention to direction: It is considered auspicious to always light a lamp facing east or north. While lighting a lamp at the main entrance of the house, the flame should be facing inwards. Yam Deepak (Dhanteras/Chhoti Diwali) should always be lit facing south.
- Number: The number of lamps on Diwali should be odd, like 5, 7, 9, 11, 21, 51, or 108. You can light any number of lamps as per your wish, but odd numbers are considered auspicious.
- First lamp: The first lamp should be lit in the temple while starting the puja. Ghee lamp is considered more auspicious than mustard oil lamp.
- Location: Light a lamp near the main entrance of the house, living room, south-east corner of the kitchen, near the Tulsi plant, under the Peepal tree and on the terrace/balcony.
- Do not light one lamp from another: According to religious beliefs, one should never light one lamp from another. This is considered inauspicious. Lamps should be lit separately.
- Do not extinguish the lamp: During the puja, take special care that the lamp is not extinguished in any way. The lamp should not be extinguished by hand or by blowing. Doing this is considered disrespect to Goddess Lakshmi.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article has been taken from religious texts, scholars and astrologers. We are just a medium to deliver this information to you. Users should consider this information as information only.