Aarti is an inseparable part of Hindu puja rituals. An aarti is usually performed after all the puja rituals are completed. It is performed by lighting an oil lamp and circling it around the deity. Apart from oil lamps, dhuna, conch shell, agarbatthis are also offered during the aarti to the deity. Sometimes, an aarti is also performed for a person to guard him/her against evil eyes. The ritual of aarti is said to descend from the ancient Vedic fire rituals. Other views say that the practice started many centuries ago when the idol of the deities were kept inside the inner sanctum of the temple and an oil lamp was lit to lighten up the dark premises. When the devotees entered, the priest used to take the lamp near the deity for a clearer view. Gradually, this simple practice developed into a ritual.
THE CONCEPT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ARDHANARISHWARA
The word aarti comes from ‘aa’ which means complete and ‘rati’ which means love. Therefore, aarti is an expression of complete and unflinching love for God. That is why aarti is performed with great devotion by singing hymns, clapping, adoration and meditative awareness. You may have wondered why is aarti used to worship the Gods or why is aarti important? Let us look for the answers in the following slides.
Why Do Hindus Perform Aarti?
The Spiritual-Scientific Perspective
During a puja it is very important to perform each act as per the science of spirituality. Most of us are not aware of various facts. For example, while offering aarti to God, one can move the platter in a clockwise circle from the Anāhat-chakra (at the heart area) to the Ādnyā-chakra (mid-brow region) of the deity or that one must perform circumambulation after aarti. Most of us do not reap the benefits of these rituals because we do not know or understand the correct way to do it.
The Right Way Out
The aarti plate is usually made of metal (silver, bronze or copper). A lamp made of kneaded flour, mud or metal, filled with oil or ghee, should be placed on it. One or more cotton wicks (always an odd number) should be put into the oil and then lighted or camphor can be burnt instead. The plate may also contain flowers, incense and akshata (rice). In some temples, a plate is not used and the priest holds the ghee lamp in his hand when offering it to the deities.
The Right Way Out
The purpose of performing aarti is the waving of lighted wicks before the deities in a spirit of humility and gratitude, wherein faithful followers become immersed in God’s divine form. It symbolises the five elements: 1. Sky (akash) 2. Wind (vayu) 3. Fire (agni) 4. Water (jal) 5. Earth (prithvi)
The Scientific Explanation
When offering aarti using a lamp with five wicks (also called pancha-arti), the platter containing this lit lamp should be waved in a full circle in front of the deity. This results in a speedy circular movement of the Sattva frequencies emitted by the flame of the lamp. These Sattva frequencies then get converted gradually into Rajas frequencies.
The Scientific Explanation
A protective armour of these frequencies is formed around the soul of the worshipper offering the aarti and is known as a ‘tarangkavach’. The more the spiritual emotion of the worshipper offering the aarti, the longer the armour lasts. These frequencies then keep increasing as the person concentrates on aarti.