Lighting lamp on Amavasya tarpanam days

[vsncal]

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Is it required to light the lamp only after Amavasya tarpanam is done?

 

[ksr57]

Is it required to light the lamp only after Amavasya tarpanam is done?

As far as I know, lamp is not lit in the puja room on Amavasya day, till tarpanam is over; no devata aradhana also. Even vibhuti is not applied on the forehead by the karta during tarpanam. After tarpanam is done, karta applies vibhuti on forehead, he or his wife lights lamp in the puja room, karta performs Brahma Yagna and then does any devata Aradhana like pooja, recital of shlokas or veda parayanam. This applies to smarthas (Iyers). I understand, it is different for vaishnavas.
Persons having more knowledge on shastras may correct me.

 

[sunita]

Not strictly required.

On Amavasya day, the main focus is on doing tarpanam for our pitru devatas (ancestors). That’s why we generally wait to light the deepam (especially in the puja room) until after finishing the tarpanam. It’s not because it’s wrong to light the lamp before - it’s more about showing priority and respect.

Tarpanam is considered a serious and shraddha karma, where we invite the pitrus symbolically. Lighting a lamp before completing that can be seen as doing something auspicious before completing our duty to the ancestors.

But this is not a hard and fast shastric rule. It’s more of a traditional practice followed for bhakti and emotional reasons. Some families light a small lamp near the tarpanam area or in the southern direction for pitrus, and only later light the regular deepam in the puja room.

So if you’re doing tarpanam at 6 or 7 am, you can wait to light the lamp until after that. If there’s a delay or if someone lights the lamp earlier by habit, it’s not a dosham. Just continue with devotion.