Ghee Diya for Pooja: How to Prepare and Light a Ghee Lamp

By Thaaro Foods · 8 October 2026

A small brass or clay diya, a cotton wick and a spoon of ghee. How to prepare a ghee lamp for daily pooja and festivals, and keep it burning steadily.

In many Indian homes the day begins with a diya lit before the family deity. Ghee lamps are part of daily pooja, aarti and every festival from Diwali to Navratri. Preparing one well keeps the flame steady and the smoke low.

What you need

A diya: brass, silver or clay. Soak a new clay diya in water for an hour and let it dry, so it does not soak up the ghee.
Cotton wicks: round wicks (phool batti) for a small upright flame, long wicks (lambi batti) for longer burning.
Ghee: many families keep a separate jar of cow ghee for pooja.

How to prepare the diya

Warm a spoon or two of ghee until it melts.
Dip the wick in the warm ghee so it soaks through.
Place the wick in the diya with its tip standing up and pour ghee around it, leaving the tip dry.
Light the tip. A soaked wick gives a steady, clean flame.

For a lamp that burns all night (akhand jyoti)

Use a larger diya or a covered lamp, and a long wick.
Top up the ghee before it runs low, without letting the flame go out.
Keep it away from curtains, cloth and moving air, and never leave it where children or pets can reach it.

Cleaning brass diyas

Once cool, wipe out the old ghee with a paper towel, then wash in warm water with a little dish soap or a paste of lemon and salt for the soot. Dry well before the next use.

For havan and pooja, see also cow dung cakes for havan. Thaaro's A2 cow ghee comes in 500 ml and 1 L jars.

Questions

Which ghee is used for a pooja diya?

Families follow their own custom; many keep a jar of cow ghee for pooja and diyas.

Why does my diya flame flicker or smoke?

The wick may be too long, not soaked in ghee, or in a draught. Trim the wick, soak it in warm ghee and shield the lamp from moving air.