In our Hindu culture, lighting a lamp denotes dispelling away darkness. The lamp is, in most Indian languages, called as “Jyoti”. When we pray to Goddesses by lighting a lamp, the belief is that we will be richly rewarded with tremendous prosperity. Married women or girls of marriageable age are always advised to light a lamp and pray for the welfare of their family, pray for marriage to a good boy, pray for motherhood. In reality, it is said that Goddess Rajarajeshwari resides in the lamp – she represents the combined form of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi.

Propitiating the Deepalakshmi (in the form of Rajarajeshwari) with vermillion, flowers, and stotras every Friday can give you benefits that cannot be described in words.
 
Look at this stanza from Lalitha Sahasranamam
 
“Om Suvasinyay namah
Om Suvasin archanapreethayay namah”.

The philosophy of the lamp is profound. We light away lamp to drive away sadness and welcome happiness with open arms. You want to acquire knowledge and drive away ignorance, so we pray to Deepalakshmi.  

Bottom portion of the lamp: (lotus seat): Lord Brahma
The middle pipe of the lamp:  Lord Venkateswara
The portion where oil/ghee is filled: Rudran
The portion where wick settles: Lord Maheswara
The end of the wick: Sadashiv
Ghee/Oil: Natham

Lamp, as mentioned earlier, represents Durga, Saraswathi and Lakshmi.

The 5 faces of a lamp denote the 5 qualities that a woman needs to have:

• Affection
• Intelligence
• Resoluteness
• Patience
• Caution

The portion where the oil is filled indicates the mind of the woman.
When you light a lamp, all the five qualities of the woman gets prominence.
So, when you light a lamp, you light your soul. It helps us in developing our intellect.

Nowadays, you can see many people (including males) lighting lamps in temples or donating oil to the temple or donating a lamp to the temple. Lighting a lamp in the temple brightens your life. If we light a lamp in our homes every evening and pray by reciting a few shlokas, it will make our lives shimmer like the lamp.

1. When you show the lamp during aarthi, rotate the lamp in the form of “OM” from the foot till the head at least thrice.
    
2. Ghee/Oil or a mixture of oil and ghee can be used to light the lamp.
    
3. Lamp is always a good omen – if someone gifts you a lamp, accept it whole-heartedly. If the lamp flickers, it is an auspicious sign.
    
4. At the least, light a lamp in front of Devi Maa every Friday with till oil.
    
5. During the Karthik month, lighting lamps in the front of homes is considered to be very powerful.
    
6. Always smear the lamp with vermillion and sandal powder.
    
7. Offer flowers to the lamp.
    
8. Pray to Lord Ganesha and then your family deity before lighting the lamp.