If the things are going wrong or the way you don’t want them to and you would rather have them take a different course, you can change the course of happenings through divine intervention. Even  if you perform lakh batti rite with no particular desire good things will  happen, and according to Shastras (scriptures), your place is secured in Heaven. Lakh Batti rite can wash away impurities and bring about positive results out of all three karmas, if performed in conformity to the guidelines in scriptures.

A night before the rite the battis are soaked in ghee or oil extracted from til (sesame) or mustard seed in an earthen pot. These days people refer sunflower oil over ghee, sesame or mustard oil. However, only three kinds of oils mentioned in scriptures are acceptable.

The battis, wringed strand by strand out of small blobs of cotton, are about three inches in length. Women used to make the battis at their homes;  but these days, battis are easily available in market.

The following day a priest, qualified in Karmakanda (the science of rituals) is called in to conduct the puja (religious rite). The Hindu religious science has different branches, and Karmakanda is one of them. If you don’t engage an expert to carry out the rite, the whole thing makes no sense.

Once the ritual is over, the lights are kindled. As the battis are lighted, the hosts and their family and relatives crowd around the earthen pot, throw their hands closer to the flame and roll back to place over their closed eyes.

Thirteen Brahmans, including one vijnya (expert), should be fed at the end of the ritual. Relatives of the hosts who are invited to share the blessings, also join in the feasts later on.

The best months to perform lakh batti rites are Kartik, Magh and Baisakh of the Nepali calendar. Lakh batti performed during Kartik is 1000 percent more fruitful than other months. In Magh it yields 100 percent better results than in Kartik. Baisakh, however, is the most suitable month for a lakh batti rite as it produces best results – 1000 percent more than Magh.

Lakh batti can cure problems related to eyes, even blindness. While performing the rite we alight 100,000 battis. Logically, therefore, it heals all health problems that are in some ways related to body temperature. Almost ever y function of the body generally depends on temperature, therefore, the rite has overall benefits. Even matter has its dharma (essential character). Water quenches thirst, air carries oxygen, likewise, the dharma of fire is to aid in vision and anything that requires heat.

Like most other ancient traditions, it is difficult to ascertain when or who started the lakh batti rite. Legend has it that Laxmana, an upper caste female, marries a lower caste male called Bhujanga soon after her husband dies. Poor and deeply aggrieved, she does so as she needs someone’s support to survive. Laxmana however feels guilt ridden for not keeping her widow’s chastity. One day she meets a hermit called Yajaka and asks ways to atone her transgression. The hermit tells her to perform  a lakh brati (batti in Sanskrit) rite that cleanses all karmic doshans (blemishes)and opens doors of good fortune.

The scripture does mention that Laxmana and Bhujanga enjoyed great fortune and laid happy life afterwards.