How To Setup An Akhand Diya

This International Yoga Day, I started on a challenge to set up an Akhand Diya. “Akhand” implies unceasing, so a lamp that remains lit for decades if not longer.

But I wasn’t aiming for a decade or anything that grand (Phew!). I basically wanted to keep one lit for a few days. So that I understand how it would work. And then see, how long I can keep it lit… maybe a few weeks?

After all, I travel a lot. So I haven’t really committed to become rooted at a spot, tending to my akhand diya 🙂 But this lamp is now ON since 19th June, about 2 weeks ago. And with the lockdown, it may well be LIT for a few months.

Twice it went off in the night, even though it had adequate oil and wick. But somehow the flame was out and the lamp was cold in the morning. So I relit it. By and large all night and day it is ON. And now I feel I understand the mechanism. Here I share the details with you in case you want to try out 🙂

Setting Up An Akhand Diya

The first step is to procure a diya that is sufficiently large size. So you don’t need to check on it too often. My diya requires a refill only once or max twice a day. But you can choose as per your suitability.

I went to various shops in my area to explore my diya options. All the shops had only one brand of diyas (wow, distribution!) – Borosil. And in that there was a large sized diya called “Akhand Diya”. Talk about coincidences.

Much kudos to Borosil and other businesses who make such products available. So yogic folks like me can explore our spiritual practices. And no this is not a sponsored post, as I mentioned ALL the shops I checked in my area had only this one brand of diyas.

So I bought Borosil’s large sized ‘Akhand Diya’. The glass cover plus top cover makes it pretty well suited to start off with. And it costs about 750 INR.

This diya was available on Amazon but I can’t find it right now. Smaller Borosil ones and other brands are available, you can check here. And yes this is an affiliate link. The little commission I may get, will help upkeep this blog!

The Wick Keeps Burning Out!

Now, initially I thought that’s it. I simply have to keep refilling the oil.

But that’s not it.

The wick keeps burning out. Basically, when you light the wick, the top cotton bit gets black burnt. But since the oil in the smaller lamps hardly last for a few hours, the wick holds out. But in these lamps which will burn indefinitely, the wick slowly keeps getting burnt out.

Accordingly, the color and size of flame changes. And if left to itself, the flame will eventually become really small and fizzle out.

This means I have to do two things to maintain this lamp,

1. Refill the oil. This one is fairly easy due to the size of the lamp. Every 12 hours I do this refilling.
2. Ensure the wick is not totally burnt black. So every 12-15 hours I pull up the wick a little bit. I do this with two used match sticks.

Now the challenge,

if I have to keep raising the wick, then it will eventually get over! Which means I have to put in a new wick.

This I have managed by doing the following,

1. Raise the old wick using a tweezer or two match-sticks. Raise it out of the lamp holder. It should still be lit. Hold in one hand.
2. With other hand, place the new wick, which is ready nearby, inside lamp holder. Pour some oil on the new wick.
3. Use old wick to light new wick.
4. Then the old wick may be put aside. While our lamp is still LIT 🙂

In this way, I consider the lamp “Akhand”.

Is there a way to stop the wick from burning out?

Now is there a way to stop the wick from burning out? I don’t know.

I have tried different size of wicks. And some wicks burn out faster than others. Thicker wicks seem to be a better option, but I need to experiment more.

Is there a wick size that slows down the burning significantly? I don’t know. Maybe the traditional practitioners may be aware.

If you have any idea, let me know.

How much Oil / Ghee keeps the lamp on perpetually?

Well, the first wick that I made was quite thin, so it guzzled a lot of oil. I think thicker wicks consume a little less oil.

I use refined Gingelly oil as of now. And in the past 13 days, I have used up a little over 1 ltr of it. So I am looking at 3 ltrs of oil in a month.

Refined 3 ltrs of oil will cost me about 400 INR. Which seems OK.

If I want to use better quality oil or ghee then, of course, the cost will increase accordingly.

There is a case to use better quality oil/ghee because the burning smoke tends to carry its property. Thus, improving its health benefits.

What other factors can affect the Akhand Diya?

I don’t know. Nothing else in past 15 days for me. The lamp is so well covered on the sides and the top. So nothing else disturbs it. I tried keeping it without its top cover, but then the wind was disturbing it. So get one with the top cover.

That’s all for now.

This blog is more about the technical details about keeping an Akhand Diya in your house.

I think it is an amazing thing to do. And maybe later on I will share my experience of having this lamp in the house 🙂

Let me know your household rituals with the diya. And have you experienced an Akhand Diya anywhere?