A diya is the oil lamp at the centre of Diwali – the festival's name comes from deepavali, a row of lamps – and the choice today is between clay, brass, akhand and LED. Each has a job. This guide explains which diya goes where, how many a household needs, what they cost at our Seven Hills store, and how to light and look after them.
What is a clay diya and how many do you need?
A clay diya is a small unglazed terracotta cup that holds ghee or oil and a cotton wick, and it is the traditional lamp for the doorstep, windowsills, balcony and the row around the rangoli. A plain clay diya is 60 cents; packs of four ($3.99), six ($5.99) and nine ($6.99) are the usual buy, and painted sets ($8.99) and wax-filled matki diyas ($5.99) need no oil at all. A typical house or apartment uses 20 to 50: five to seven at the entrance, two per windowsill, a row along the balcony and an odd number on the altar. Last Diwali our customers bought more than 300 plain clay diyas in the three days from Dhanteras to Diwali, so buy a few spares early – unglazed clay can crack and the plain ones sell out first.
Which brass diya is for the pooja room?
Brass diyas are the lamps you keep: the aarti diya for waving the flame during puja, the panchmukhi (five-faced) diya for the altar, and the tall Kerala or Kamakshi standing lamps either side of the murti. A brass aarti diya is $9.99, or $11.99 with a handle; a panchmukhi diya with stand is $12.99, a charmukhi $12.99, and the Kerala standing diyas run from $79 for 13 inches to $129 for 21 inches. For the altar on Diwali night, the shankh-chakra deepak set ($29.99) and the peacock diya ($99.99) are the pieces families buy as the one good addition for the year. Brass needs a wipe with a soft cloth and an occasional polish; it does not crack and it is passed down.
What is an akhand diya and why is it lit on Diwali?
An akhand diya (akhand jyoti) is a lamp kept burning without interruption – on Diwali, through the whole night of Lakshmi Puja – so it has a larger oil reservoir, a thicker wick and often a glass chimney to protect the flame from draughts. The brass akhand diya plain is $7.99, the glass-chimney version $21.99, and the adjustable-wick models $59.99 – the adjustable wick is worth it if you light the jyot regularly, because it lets you lower the flame to make a fill last the night. A clay akhand diya ($4.99) does the same job for one season. Use ghee or a ghee jyot (desi ghee jyot $12.99) rather than cooking oil for a cleaner, longer flame, and keep akhand jyot wicks ($4.99) on hand. Akhand diyas are the most searched product on our website, and the brass ones sell out in Diwali week.
Are LED diyas acceptable, and where do they go?
LED diyas go anywhere a flame is unsafe or impractical – high balconies, near curtains, in homes with toddlers or pets, and in rentals with strata rules – while a real flame stays on the altar. Most families now light one real akhand diya and the aarti diya for the puja, and use LEDs for the decorative rows. A water-sensor diya ($3) lights when water is poured in and floats in an urli; LED tea-light candles are $1.50; diya-shaped hanging lights ($29) and diya curtain lights ($35) give the row-of-lamps effect on a balcony rail. Choose warm or golden LEDs; cool white reads as Christmas, not Diwali. See the full LED diyas and Diwali lights collection.
How do you light a diya properly?
Fill the diya two-thirds with ghee or oil, soak the cotton wick, lay it so a centimetre rests on the lip, and light the tip. Ghee burns cleaner and brighter and is traditional for the altar; sesame or mustard oil is traditional for the doorstep and the Yama deepam on Dhanteras evening; any vegetable oil works for decorative rows. Round cotton wicks ($3.99) are for clay diyas, long wicks for brass lamps. A standard clay diya burns 45 minutes to an hour on one fill; an akhand diya with a full reservoir burns six to ten hours. Place diyas on a plate or tile, never directly on a wooden surface, and keep them clear of torans and curtains.
How do you clean and store diyas after Diwali?
Clay diyas: let them cool, soak in warm water for an hour, scrub the soot with a brush, dry in the sun and store wrapped in newspaper – they are reusable for the balcony next year, though most families buy new ones for the altar. Brass diyas: wipe out the oil while warm, wash in warm soapy water, and polish with a brass cleaner or a paste of lemon and salt before storing; keep them dry, because Sydney humidity tarnishes brass quickly. LED diyas: remove batteries before storing, and dry water-sensor diyas fully.
Diwali diya shopping list
- 20–50 clay diyas (plain or painted), plus a few spares
- 1 akhand diya (brass with glass for the altar) and ghee or a ghee jyot
- 1 brass aarti diya
- 1 panchmukhi or charmukhi diya for the altar
- Cotton wicks – round for clay, long for brass
- LED or water-sensor diyas for balcony and high shelves
Shop clay diyas, brass diyas, akhand diyas and the full Diwali Decorations range online or at Shop 3 & 4, 36 Johnson Avenue, Seven Hills – open seven days.