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Aarti in Hinduism
Aarti means to be immersed in the devotion of God with full devotion. Aarti is also known as Neerajan. Neerajan means to publish exclusively. That is, the positive energy received by worshiping God should illuminate our mind. Brighten up your personality. Performing aarti even in worship done without mantra brings perfection.
In relation to the aarti of God in Skanda Purana, it is said that if a person does not know the mantra, he does not even know the method of worship. But if the aarti of the Lord is being performed and by participating in that worship work with reverence, then the Lord accepts his worship completely.
- Why with Aarti lamp: A wick of ghee is lit with cotton. Ghee is the provider of prosperity. Ghee removes dryness and provides aliphatic. The lamp of ghee offered to the Lord means that the amount of aliphatic is in this ghee. May all the good deeds of our life continue to be done with the same agility. Never face any kind of obstacles.
- Why conch sound and bell sound in Aarti: With the sound of conch shell and bell ringing in Aarti, whichever deity is meditated and sung. Due to which the mind is concentrated in one place, due to which the turmoil of the thoughts going on in the mind decreases. The hair and hair of the body gets pulverized, due to which the body becomes more energetic.
- Why Aarti from camphor: The smell of camphor spreads rapidly in the atmosphere. It attracts the positive forces (divine forces) present in the universe. Aarti is the medium through which the divine power gets a way to reach the place of worship.
- While doing the aarti, there should be such a feeling in the mind of the devotee that as if he is performing the aarti of God with the help of Panch-pranas (with full heart). The flame of ghee should be considered a symbol of the light of the soul. It is called Pancharati when believers pray to God from the depths of their hearts.
- Aarti can be performed anywhere from one to five times every day. Aarti is performed twice in homes. Morning Aarti and Evening Aarti.
- According to the science of Deep Bhakti, flowers should be offered three times while saluting God before the aarti.
- After that, after taking pure ghee in a lamp, aarti should be done by lighting odd number ie 1, 3, 5 or 7 lights in it. Generally aarti is performed with five lights, also known as Panch Pradeep. After this, aarti is performed with camphor. The smoke of camphor goes into the atmosphere. Here the smoke serves to take our worship work to the cosmic power.
- Aarti can be done with five things in a particular worship. First by incense, second by lamp, third by washed clothes, by camphor, fifth by water.
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How to Decorate the Aarti Plate
A lotus filled with water, flowers to be offered, kumkum, rice, lamp, incense, camphor, washed clothes, bell, aarti collection book should be kept in the aarti plate. Make the shape of a swastika with kumkum on the plate. Brass or copper should be used for the plate.
Method of performing Aarti
- Aarti should be done while rotating in front of God in such a way that a shape like Om is formed.
- The number of turning the lamp in front of different deities is also different, which is as follows.
- Rotate three or five times in front of Lord Shiva.
- Rotate four times in front of Lord Ganesha.
- Rotate it twelve times in front of Lord Vishnu.
- Rotate fourteen times in front of Lord Rudra.
- Rotate seven times in front of Lord Surya.
- Rotate nine times in front of Bhagwati Durga.
- Rotate seven times in front of other deities.
- If there is any confusion regarding the method of rotating the lamp, then the aarti of any deity or deity can be done by the following method.
- Aarti should be started from your left side and taken to the right. This sequence should be done seven times. First and foremost, one should move four times at God’s idol’s feet, twice in the navel country, and once in the face. The aarti should then be turned seven times in front of the god after that.
- In Padma Purana, it has been said for aarti that by making seven or five lights of kumkum, agar, camphor, ghee and sandalwood or making candles of cotton and ghee, aarti should be done while playing conch shell, bell etc.
- After the aarti of God is done, water should be swirled around the plate, due to which the aarti is pacified.
- Aarti is given to the devotees after the aarti of the Lord is completed. Aarti should be performed using your right hand.
- All the devotees take aarti. While taking the aarti, the devotees join both their hands by inverting the bottom. Rotate it from the aarti and apply it on your forehead. Behind which there is a belief that the divine power resides in that flame. The power of which the devotee takes part on the forehead. According to another belief, it brings down the eyes of God. The real reason for which is to express one’s love and devotion towards God.
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Why Is The Aarti Ritual Necessary After Prayer?
Whether it is home or temple, after the worship of God, aarti is performed with the sound of clock, bell and conch. Any worship without aarti is considered incomplete. Therefore, before starting the puja, people sit with aarti plate decorated. The Skanda Purana contains the answer of why Aarti is so vital in worship. This Purana claims that if a person does not know the mantra or the technique of worship but does aarti, God will accept his worship totally.
Aarti is both scientifically and religiously significant. Remember which items are used in the thal of the aarti. Cotton, ghee, camphor, flowers, and sandalwood must have come in your mind. Cotton is pure cotton; it is not tainted in any way. Similarly, ghee is a fundamental component of milk. Sandalwood and camphor are both pure and sattvic compounds.
When a wick of ghee and camphor is lit with cotton, a wonderful aroma spreads in the atmosphere. Due to this, the negative energy present in the surrounding environment escapes and positive energy starts circulating.
With the sound of the conch shell and the bell ringing in the aarti, the mind is focused towards any deity, which is sung by meditation, which ends the conflict going on in the mind. The soul, which has been asleep in our body, is reawakened, and the mind and body are energized as a result. And know that you are receiving God’s grace.