Camphor (kapur) for aarti and puja: what it is for and how to use it

Camphor (kapur or karpur in Hindi, kamfora in Polish) is a white, crystalline substance with a sharp, distinctive smell. In Hindu homes and temples it is burned during aarti and puja, because it burns with a bright flame and leaves no ash. Ritual camphor is not food: it must never be eaten and must be kept out of children's reach.

What camphor is

Camphor is an organic compound with a strong, cool smell. It is taken from the wood of the camphor tree or made synthetically. Puja shops sell it as small white tablets, cubes or fine crystals in boxes and small jars. In a Polish shop, look for "kamfora" on the label.

People who use camphor know two things about it:

• It lights easily and burns with a bright, steady flame.
• It slowly evaporates at room temperature. An open pack gets smaller over time, even if no one uses it.

Camphor in aarti and puja

Aarti is the part of Hindu worship in which a flame is circled in front of the image of a deity. A ghee lamp or camphor is used for it. After the aarti, people hold their palms over the flame and then touch their eyes or forehead.

Hindus explain the meaning of camphor in different ways. A common explanation is that camphor burns away completely and leaves nothing behind, as a reminder to let go of one's ego. Camphor is burned in daily puja at home, at festivals such as Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi, and in temples, especially in South India.

How to burn camphor safely

Camphor burns with a tall flame. A few simple rules:

1. Put one or two tablets on a metal plate, in a brass aarti lamp or on a special stand. Never put camphor straight onto wood or plastic.
2. Light it with a match or a long lighter, and keep your hand to the side, not above the flame.
3. Keep the flame away from curtains, flowers, paper and hair.
4. Never leave burning camphor unattended. Wait until the flame goes out by itself.
5. Air the room after the puja. Products labelled "smoke-less" give less smoke, but it is still an open flame.

Safety: camphor and children

Ritual camphor is not a food product. Swallowing it is dangerous, especially for small children: even a small amount can seriously harm them. So:

• keep camphor in a closed container, high up and out of children's reach,
• do not leave tablets on the home shrine when there are small children in the house,
• do not use camphor or camphor oil on a child on your own; ask a doctor or pharmacist,
• if a child has swallowed camphor, contact a doctor at once or call the emergency number 112.

How to store camphor

Because camphor evaporates, keep it in a tightly closed box or jar, in a cool place, away from flames and sunlight. Do not keep it next to food, because its smell gets into everything. Many families keep it with their other puja items: incense sticks, wicks and kumkum.

Where to buy camphor in Poland

Little India sells Lakshmi smoke-less camphor 50 g, which people also search for as "Lakshmi camphor" or "Laxmi camphor". For the aarti you may also need an aarti stand, and other items are in the puja items category. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk (addresses) and ships orders across Poland.

For choosing incense for puja, see our guide to Indian incense sticks. Camphor is also part of Diwali in Poland.