Why do we light a lamp?

In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day – at dawn and dusk – and in a few it is maintained continuously (akhanda deepa). All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.

Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness, ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself.



Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth



Why not light a bulb or tube light? That too would remove darkness. But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals.



Whilst lighting the lamp we thus pray:

Deepajyothi parabrahma

Deepa sarva tamopahaha

Deepena saadhyate saram

Sandhyaa deepo namostute



I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp; whose light is the Knowledge Principle (the Supreme Lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be achieved in life.

Parathas!!!!!Yummy...

Sunday i made amazing parathas. I opened up the refrigerator and was wondering what to cook for breakfast. I decided to make parathas.
Below is the recipe...

Ingredients

Spring Onion
Cilantro
Green chili (finely chopped)
Dry Garlic chutney(You get this at Indian grocery store)
Shredded cheese (I prefer Amul cheese)
Roti or paratha dough.
Oil.

Method:

Take paratha dough and roll out to a big thick roti. Brush some oil on half side of the roti and sprinkle some dry atta and spread Spring Onion, Cilantro, Green chili, cheese and dry garlic chutney on the half side of the roti. Be careful with the garlic chutney because it is spicy, so add according to desired taste. Then fold over the other end of the roti to make it a semi-circle. Then brush some oil and dry atta on half side of the semi-circled roti and continue the same process, and fold it again. Now it will be a triangle shaped paratha. Sprinkle some dry atta on the dough and roll to medium thickness. Heat pan and cook by brushing some oil on it.

I hope you like this recipe. Let me know how it turns out.