Akhanda Dheepam during Navaratri Shakti Peetam & Spiritual Center, NA

August 28, 2025

Om Shakti! The unique specialty of celebrating Navaratri every year in Shakti Peetam is the AKHANDA Dheepam. When the Universal Supreme Mother AdhiParaShakti descended on this earth as a Spiritual Guru in the form of Shri Bangaru Adigalaar, fondly and respectfully addressed as 'Amma' (Ammavaaru, Maa, Mother), She showed us different methods to helps us all the souls progress through our spiritual journey. 

AKHANDA Dheepam

Spiritual journey, which is the life's journey is on a karmic path and is dictated and regulated by everything we did, and we do both in mind and body. The law of karma is the only force that orchestrates our life from birth to death, but it is also a known truth that using our intellect (Buddhi) and belief in Divine, we as humans are bestowed with ability to realize, correct, and change course of our journey. While there are multiple tools and methods defined and established by many realized souls as Rishis, and Siddhars to help us overcome the inertia of our karma, most of them can be put into practice only by dedicated and committed seekers and saints.

Being a Spiritual Guru, the Mother devised and gave simpler methods to overcome the drag of our karma, and those that can be practiced even by common people like us in our day to day life. One of them is Akhanda Dheepam during Navaratri. Before our Spiritual Guru Bangaru Amma attained Samadhi on October 19th, 2023 (Third day, a Thursday of Navaratri that year), She lit the Akhanda Dheepam in Her Divine Abode Melmaruvathur, Tamil Nadu India every year on Mahalaya Amavasya Tithi, the day before the start of Navaratri. And Mother AdhiParaShakti proclaimed that whoever pours Mukkoottu Oil (a special mix of three types of oil) to this Akhanda Dheepam and looks at the reflection of their face in the Dheepam's oil will be protected and saved from the ill-karma of their past. Now, without going into the scientific analysis of how this happens, going purely by faith and belief, it is important to realize that an Avatar-Par-Excellence which is the Mother AdhiParaShakti Herself appeared in a male form, a father figure as unprecedented Spiritual Guru to help us achieve the purpose of this life, and successfully lead a spiritual life even as a commoner.

Akhanda Dheepam has two specific meanings - Akhanda means that which is lit forever and it also means  that which removes adverse effects in life. So, this is a Dheepam that is lit for all days throughout Navaratri, which removes the adverse effects of planets in life of all those who pour and offer mukkoottu oil to it.

Mother also ordained that Shakti Peetams and Worship Centers around the world can light their own Akhanda Dheepams following the established procedures after the Dheepam is lit in Melmaruvathur. Same benefits of pouring the oil to Dheepam in Melmaruvathur can be realized at local centers and peetams.

So, pouring mukkoottu oil to Akhanda Dheepam helps in resolving some issues related to health, jobs, money, relationships, marriages, legals, etc etc as they are all related and driven by our past karma and that the action of pouring oil into Akhanda Dheepam removes / erases some of these karma.

In Shakti Peetam & Spiritual Center, Chester Springs, PA USA we light the Akhanda Dheepam and keep it lit continuously until the last day ie Vijayadasami and make it available for all visitors to pour the mukkoottu oil into it and look at the reflection of your face in the dheepam. We also give a small bottle of this oil taken from Akhanda Dheepam for you to take home and use it for medicinal purposes like massaging on parts of the body that aches or even use drops of the oil into your oil lamp in your pooja room.

All are welcome to Shakti Peetam during Navaratri Days / Evenings to come and pour mukkoottu oil (supplied by the Shakti Peetam), look at the reflection of your face in dheepam and enjoy the daily alankaar of Mother, get prasadam and culturally enrich your childrens life.

Om Shakti! Para Shakti! Om Shakti! AdhiParaShakti!