Soi Batti vs Khadi Batti: When to Use Which Lamp Wick

Which lamp wick should be used for regular daily worship?

For daily worship, the long, lying wick (Soi Batti) should be used — lit in pairs — for constant attainment of wealth, longevity, health, prosperity, one's deity's grace, and the fulfillment of desires.

When lighting a lamp at home, two types of wicks are used: a long wick and a round or standing wick. Normally, in daily worship, the long wick (Soi Batti) should be used, and that too in pairs — two long wicks together. It's used for the constant attainment of wealth, longevity, health, prosperity, the grace of one's deity, and the fulfillment of desires.

When should the standing wick (Khadi Batti) be used instead?

The standing wick is for two situations: worship of a fierce (Ugra) deity form, and a vow-bound ritual using an already-perfected (Siddha) mantra or hymn for a specific result. It is doubled by wrapping Kalawa around it.

The standing or round wick (Khadi Batti) has two uses. The first is a mantra ritual: taking a vow to recite a specific text with a mantra, hymn or praise already perfected (Siddha) beforehand, aimed at a particular result — curing someone's illness, destroying an enemy, or countering negative magic or spells. The second follows from what the wick itself signifies: a standing wick means the form of the deity being worshipped turns fierce, so it belongs in the worship of fierce or aggressive energies and deities. In either case the wick should be doubled by wrapping sacred thread (Kalawa) around it. A long, lying wick (Soi Batti) is what serves everywhere else — daily wealth attainment and general deity worship.

Why should ancestors (Pitrus) never be worshipped with a standing wick?

For ancestors, a standing/round wick should never be used — always use a long/lying wick for their worship, since the standing wick is reserved for aggressive powers or specific mantra rituals, not for Pitrus.

For ancestors (Pitrus), a standing or round wick (Khadi Batti) should never be used — always use a long or lying wick (Soi Batti) for them instead. A standing wick is for aggressive powers or when executing a specific mantra ritual, not for Pitru worship.