Have you also ever wondered?

As a child i saw my maternal grandmother lighting the Pooja Lamp in our Pooja room. Then i saw my paternal grandmother doing the same. Then i saw my dear aunt and mother too following the same daily morning - evening traditions. Then while growing up I took on the role of lighting the lamp being the eldest daughter of our home.

I took great pride in washing the Pooja 'samaan' consisting of small 'vigrahams' of Ganapati, Sri Mahalakshmi, little toddler baby Krishna on his fours, the silver Shaligram and of course the beautiful lamp, Arati lamp, brass bell and agarbatti stand. 

This washing was a weekly ritual after which I would call my dear mother to see the brillantly shining silver, copper and brass Pooja samaan.

Then my mother would take cotton and roll out the wicks to be put into the lamp for lighting.

It is ordained in our Sanatana Samskaras that for auspicious times the lamp wick should always be in pairs never single. 

Single wick is used during times of sorrow after someone passes away. 

The use of two wicks symbolises the harmony and balance of the two forms of existing energies. Perhaps scientifically this explains the stability needed just like the positive proton needs negative electron. 

In our Sanatana Dharmic tradition, Shiva the male energy and Shakti the female energy are powerless without one another.

Shiva and Shakti are integral for one another.

Each day morning and evening the lamp is refilled with sesame oil or ghee and lighted for prayers and meditation. 

Much time has passed but this tradition continues in our homes.Each time i light the Pooja lamp, i connect with my mother,my grandmothersvand their sweet memories. I hear them chanting Shlokams. 

My daughter too follows this same beautiful generational tradition passed down through the ages and i hope that it will continue... 

Now let me not digress from the pivotal point of the title. 

I have noticed that the two wicks despite being being lighted together do not burn at the same rate! 

One remains longer and the other one gets burnt out faster. 

It is not just a one time happening. 

Have observed this happening perennially and  has made me wonder why! 

Each wick has a life of its own and its own individual burnout time. Is this a subtle lesson that the lamp is teaching? 

We all have a life span despite being together! 

This is exactly what i ask myself so many times. 

In the season of autumn I have watched falling leaves. Some fall earlier, some later and yet at the same time there are some leaves that are stuck to the branch refusing to fall despite violent autumnal winds and rain! 

There is a time exclusive for everything in creation. 

But yes they do fall finally reiterating the truth that after we come we have to go! 

Any thoughts???