Mustard Oil in Indian Rituals: From Diyas to Massage
Mustard Oil in Indian Rituals: From Diyas to Massage
In Indian homes, the golden glow of mustard oil has always been more than just a kitchen ingredient — it’s a sacred presence. From lighting diyas during prayers to anointing the body in age-old massages, mustard oil (sarson ka tel) carries layers of symbolism that blend faith, purity, and healing. Its sharp aroma, deep hue, and fiery warmth mirror India’s spiritual depth — grounding the body, cleansing the spirit, and connecting generations through ritual.
Lighting the Sacred Flame: Mustard Oil in Diyas
When mustard oil fills the earthen lamp — the diya — and the wick catches flame, it’s more than illumination. In Hindu rituals, lighting a diya symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance. Mustard oil, known for its purity and ability to burn steadily, becomes the preferred choice during pujas, Navratri, and Diwali.
Unlike refined or synthetic oils, mustard oil is unadulterated and rooted in the earth — it signifies strength and endurance. Its flame is said to cleanse negative energies and invite positivity. In many rural temples and households, the morning and evening lamps are still lit with mustard oil, believed to carry divine blessings that guard the home.
In Bengal and Bihar, where mustard fields paint the landscape golden, using sarson tel in diyas is almost an offering of the land itself — an acknowledgment of how nature sustains devotion.
Abhyanga with Mustard Oil: Warmth and Protection
Beyond temples, mustard oil plays a vital role in personal rituals of purification and rejuvenation. The abhyanga, or traditional oil massage, uses warm mustard oil to invigorate the body, especially during winters. Ayurveda considers it warming and stimulating, ideal for enhancing blood circulation and dispelling cold and sluggishness — a perfect balance for Kapha and Vata imbalances.
Families across North India still recall the age-old winter routine — children massaged with mustard oil before their morning bath, women applying it to the scalp for shine and strength, and elders using it to ease joint stiffness. The ritual wasn’t just about skin nourishment; it was an act of love, protection, and care.
Scientifically, mustard oil’s allyl isothiocyanate content supports better circulation and may provide mild antimicrobial protection — aligning with traditional beliefs of keeping the body resilient against seasonal change.
Symbolism: Fire, Strength, and Renewal
Mustard oil’s deep connection with fire gives it a special place in Indian symbolism. Fire (Agni) represents transformation — turning matter into spirit, darkness into light. Mustard oil, with its heating energy (ushna guna in Ayurveda), fuels that transformation, both literally in lamps and metaphorically in the body.
It also signifies protection and renewal. In several folk customs, mustard oil is sprinkled around homes during eclipses or after funerals to ward off negative energy. Farmers anoint tools and cattle with mustard oil during harvest festivals as a gesture of gratitude and purification.
Even in weddings, mustard oil is used in tel baan ceremonies, where it’s applied to the bride and groom as a symbol of auspiciousness, vitality, and cleansing before stepping into a new life.
The Bridge Between Devotion and Wellness
Mustard oil stands at the intersection of the sacred and the everyday — part of both prayer and personal care. It embodies the Indian belief that spirituality and health are intertwined, that what purifies the body can also elevate the soul.
From the diya that glows at dawn to the massage that warms the skin, mustard oil continues to nurture the rhythms of Indian life. Its significance has endured for centuries because it does more than serve — it connects. It’s the oil that lights the divine flame and the human heart alike.
