This paper presents the results of a study on an electrodeless high intensity discharge (HID) lamp system that is powered by circularly polarized microwaves (CPMs). The technique to generate CPMs enables an electrodeless high intensity discharge lamp to be turned on without the retation of the bulb but conventional electrodeless high intensity discharge lamps use rotating bulbs in order to prevent a puncture in a hot spots that are formed by the linearly polarized microwaves in the circular cavity. The technique to generate CPMs is described and the salient features of the lamp characteristics are presented.