musings 128

The temples in Kerala following the traditions unique to Kerala,usually do not differentiate between coconut oil and gingely oil being used for lighting deepams,,

In some temples it is the practice that the oil used in the sanctum is gingely and the chuttrambalam, chuttru vilakku, deepastambham etc (in the outer periphery of the temple )use coconut oil..

The preference in fact is not the inferiority of coconut oil in any way, but coconut oil gives a whiter flame and gets oxidized quickly in comparison to the more viscous gingely oil..

Of course, Palakkad brahmins and the temples relatable to them use gingely oil only for lighting lamps.. Coconut oil is a rarity

Kerala has more coconuts than ellu.(gingely). so that oil is more in circulation.. In Ayurveda, the role of coconut oil in making various thailams ( funny that the word thailam in sanskrit is derived from thilam or gingely) is vital..

In many acharams or rituals, the adoption is due to the availability of the resources.. No Vasishta or Yajnavalkya would have written that coconut oil should not be used

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Palmolein was not an oil in circulation in good old days. But castor oil was.. There is a definite prohibition for use of castor oil for lamps in pooja.. Maybe castor oil can be used for lighting in the house externally,, and actually it gives a brighter light than either coconut or gingely oils.. The more unsaturated organic compound an oil is, it burns more and gives more light... and the more saturated chemical oils burn with blue flame..