A high pressure discharge lamp lighting apparatus comprises a high pressure discharge lamp including a discharge container made of quartz glass in which mercury and halogen is enclosed, and a first and second electrodes in which the first electrode is larger than the second electrode in size and face each other, a power supply section which turns on the discharge lamp by impressing a voltage of opposite polarity by turns between the pair of electrodes of the high pressure discharge lamp. In the lamp lighting apparatus, a control is carried out by the power supply section, so that a first period during which a positive voltage is impressed to the first electrode is longer than a second period during a positive voltage is impressed to the second electrode.