The holy festival of Navratri is about to come, and during this time devotees take many measures to worship Mata Rani. One of the important measures is the lighting of Akhand Jyoti . It is believed that this flame, which burns continuously for 9 days, pleases Mother Goddess and fulfills the wishes of the devotees.

In this article we will give you every information related to lighting Akhand Jyoti. These include:

• Meaning and importance of Akhand Jyoti
• Rules for lighting Akhand Jyoti during Navratri
• Method of lighting Akhand Jyoti at home
• What precautions should be taken while lighting Akhand Jyoti?
• What to do if the lamp goes out
• What to do if Akhand Jyoti is not lit at home?

So let’s get started:

1. Meaning and importance of Akhand Jyoti

Akhand Jyoti means the flame which never breaks, that is, once lit, it burns continuously for 9 days. It is considered to be the form of Mata Rani and its light removes all the darkness from the life of the devotees.

There are many benefits of lighting Akhand Jyoti:

• It pleases the Mother Goddess and fulfills the wishes of the devotees.
• It brings happiness, peace and prosperity to the house.
• It removes negative energy and brings positive energy.
• It increases concentration and devotion in the minds of devotees.

2. Rules for lighting Akhand Jyoti during Navratri

• Lamp:
  • Use clay or copper lamp.
  • The lamp should not be broken.
  • Soak the earthen lamp in water for a day before.
• Wick:
  • Make a wick from cotton or cotton molly.
  • The wick should not be made of synthetic thread.
  • The length of the wick should be one and a quarter hands (from hand to elbow).
• Ghee:
  • Use pure cow ghee or sesame oil.
  • Do not fill ghee in the lamp till the top.
• Other:
  • Protect the lamp from wind.
  • If soot accumulates in the lamp, remove it.
  • When the lamp gets extinguished, seek forgiveness from Mata Rani and light it again.

3. Method of lighting Akhand Jyoti in the house

• Make Ashtadal (flower with 8 petals) on the post.
• Place a lamp on this octagon.
• Add ghee/oil and wick to the lamp.
• Light the lamp and chant the mantra:

“Bho Deep Devaswarupastvam Karma Sakshi Savignikrit. Yavatkarma end: syat tavatvam susthiro bhava.

• Apply tilak to the lamp and offer it.
• Pray to Mata Rani for the protection of the lamp.

4 . What precautions should be taken while lighting Akhand Jyoti?

• Protect the lamp from wind:  Wind can extinguish the lamp, so keep it away from a windy place.
• Keep the lamp in a safe place:  Keep the lamp out of the reach of children and pets.
• Do not keep flammable materials around the lamp:  Keeping flammable materials around the lamp increases the risk of fire.
• Take care of the lamp regularly:  Fill the lamp when it gets low on ghee/oil and change the wick regularly.
• If the lamp gets extinguished, light it immediately:  If the lamp gets extinguished, then light it immediately and seek forgiveness from Mata Rani.
• Maintain cleanliness around the lamp:  Keep the area around the lamp clean.
• Take care:  Be careful when lighting and extinguishing the lamp.

5. What to do if the lamp goes out

Don’t panic if the lamp goes out. Burn it immediately and seek forgiveness from Mata Rani. If the lamp is repeatedly extinguishing then try to find out the reason.

6. What to do if Akhand Jyoti is not lit at home?

If you cannot light the Akhand Jyoti at home then you can also go to the temple and light the Jyoti. You can also take advice from a qualified Brahmin or Pandit.

Lighting Akhand Jyoti during Navratri is a wonderful way to get the blessings of Mata Rani. If you do this remedy properly then Mata Rani will fulfill your wishes.

Other important information:

• Auspicious time to light Akhand Jyoti:  On the day of Ghatasthapana
• Duration of burning Akhand Jyoti:  9 days
• Materials required for lighting Akhand Jyoti:  lamp, ghee/oil, wick, chowki, ashtadal, tilak, bhog.

Also keep in mind:

• If you go out of the house, do not switch off the lamp.
• If you are going out of the house for a long time then ask someone to take care of the lamp.

Happy Navratri!