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Why is oil offered to the parental home deity in Navratri and is failing a sin?
N
News18•14-10-2026, 12:18
Why is oil offered to the parental home deity in Navratri and is failing a sin?
- •A long-standing Maharashtrian tradition requires married women to offer oil or send funds for the parental home deity during Navratri.
- •This practice symbolizes a daughter's contribution to keeping the perpetual lamp burning for her parental lineage and welfare.
- •Religious scriptures clarify that failing to do so due to unavoidable circumstances does not incur any sin or divine wrath.
- •Devotion matters more than rituals, and the offering can be made later during Kojagiri Purnima, Diwali, or any visit to the parental home.
Key Questions Answered
During Navratri, an Akhand Nandadeep burns in front of the parental family deity. Married daughters send oil contributions to ensure the lamp's wick never goes out, symbolizing a plea for the protection of their parents and brothers.
According to religious scriptures, no sin or fault is incurred. Devotion is superior to ritualism, and the family goddess never turns wrathful or places an ancestral curse due to unavoidable circumstances.
If unable to send oil during Navratri, a woman can offer oil or dry provisions after Navratri ends, during Kojagiri Purnima, Diwali Padwa, or whenever she visits her parental home. Alternatively, she can make a heartfelt prayer directly from her marital home.
