How to Make Diwali Oil Lamps

Last Updated: January 20, 2023 Tested

Diwali, lovingly known as the festival of lights, represents the coming of the new year according to the auspicious Hindu calendar. The celebration continues for five days and recognizes a time of year when in Hindu mythology, good overcame evil. Diwali is celebrated by cooking traditional foods and desserts, meeting with family and friends, and decorating the house with color and lights. The tradition of decorating with light doesn't only serve to illuminate houses, but also represents an invitation to the Hindu goddess of good fortune to bring happiness and health into the home. Families will light small, handmade earthen oil lamps called diyas. Diyas are bowl-shaped and usually made of clay, but when clay isn’t readily available, it is easy to make and decorate diyas at home. Even if you don’t celebrate Diwali, you can make your own diya to decorate and light up. Making diyas is a popular family activity, and everyone can decorate their own!

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Making the Diya Dough

1
Pour ½ cup of wheat flour into a mixing bowl.
2
Pour water in the mixing bowl little by little. Before adding additional water each time, mix the water and wheat flour with your hands.

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3
Keep adding water until the wheat flour takes on the consistency of dough. The dough should be slightly tight. It should not be too soft.
4
Stop kneading and adding water when the dough is able to form a round ball.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Shaping the Diya

1
Divide the ball of dough into three equal parts.
2
Take one of the three divisions of dough and roll it into a ball again.
3
Shape this little ball of dough into a small bowl structure.
4
Pinch one tip of the bowl. This creates one pointed tip on the round bowl shape. This is the final shape of your diya!
5
Repeat the shaping process for the other two divisions of dough.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Baking the Diya

1
Place the three diyas onto the greased baking pan.
2
Place the baking pan into the oven. The oven should be at 400 °F (204 °C).
3
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Check on the diyas at the halfway point (about 7 minutes). If the base of the diya has puffed up slightly, push down gently on the puffed up section with a spoon.
4
Remove the diyas from the oven after 15 minutes are up. You want the diyas to be stiff and hard. If the diyas are still soft, place them back in the oven until they become stiff and hard.
5
Cool the diyas to room temperature.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Decorating the Diya

1
Paint the diyas with a paintbrush all over. Choose any colors you like!
2
Wait for the paint to dry.
3
Create designs you like using materials such as glitter, mirrors, beads, and paint. Each diya can be decorated differently—decorate them any way you want!
4
Wait for the glue/glitter designs to settle and dry.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Lighting the Diya

1
Roll up three 1x4 cm cotton pieces into skinny rolls.
2
Dip the three rolls of cotton cloth into ¼ cup of vegetable oil.
3
Place the rolled up, oil-soaked cotton cloths onto the pinched tips of the diyas. The cotton roll should rest in the fold of the tip. Be sure to leave 1-2 cm of the cotton cloth roll hanging out of the diya.
4
Fill each diya with vegetable oil. Do not fill the diya to the brim with oil. Fill the diya up below the rim, leaving about 1cm of space till the rim.
5
With the lighter, light the tip of the cotton cloth roll.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I make these without them rising up like a cake?

Community Answer

You will be making a stiff dough, not a batter. If you add so much water that it is like a cake batter, the diya won't hold the shape. Secondly, you are also not making bread. You are not adding yeast, so the dough should not rise.
Question

What paint is used on this oil lamp?

Community Answer

You can use any paint, but generally acrylic paint is good for painting diyas.
Question

How long can a diwali oil lamp be used for? Does it give off a bad odor if kept for long?

Community Answer

As long as you keep it clean (i.e. wash it with some washing powder and clean water) after use, they have a healthy and long life. Just let it dry in some sunlight before reusing them.

Warnings

Remember to follow oven and fire safety: use oven mitts to take the baking sheet in and out of the oven, make sure small children are clear of the oven when open, and keep the lighter or match pointed away from yourself and others.

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