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Arti (Hinduism)
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Arti (Hindi: आरती, romanized: Āratī) or Aarati (Sanskrit: आरात्रिक, romanized: Ārātrika)[1][2] is a Hindu ritual employed in worship, part of a puja, in which light from a flame (fuelled by camphor, ghee, or oil) is ritually waved to venerate deities.[3][4][5] Arti also refers to the hymns sung in praise of the deity, when the light is being offered. Sikhs have Arti kirtan which involves only devotional singing; the Nihang order of Sikhs also use light for arti.[6]
Etymology and origin
[edit]Aarti is thought to have descended from Vedic fire rituals or yajna.[7] Aarati is derived from the Sanskrit word आरात्रिक (ārātrika) which means something that removes rātrī, "darkness".[8][9] A Marathi language reference says it is also known as Mahānīrāñjanā (Sanskrit: महानीराञ्जना).[10] According to Steven Rosen, arti means "before night" or symbolic end of the night to the worshipper's "material sojourn – he or she is now situated in the light of God's devotion."[11]
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Practice
[edit]Aarti ranges from simple acts of worship to extravagant rituals, but almost always includes a jyoti (flame or light). It is performed up to eight times daily, depending on the specific Hindu tradition and temple.[11] It is performed as part of most Hindu liturgies and occasions and typically involves circling a diya (lamp) clockwise before a murti or icon of a deity, accompanied by hymns.[12][8] After waving the lamp before the deity, it is brought to the devotee, who then briefly places both their palms above the sanctified flame to receive its warmth. The devotee then raises their hands in supination, bringing both palms toward to their forehead in a gesture of self-purification and connection with the Divine.[12]
The diya (lamp) used for aarti is most often made of brass or other materials and holds a cotton wick soaked in camphor, ghee, or oil.[12][8] The aarti plate may contain other offerings like flowers, incense, and akshata (rice).[13]
The purpose of aarti is to wave light before the deity in a spirit of humility and gratitude, wherein the faithful become immersed in a God's divine form. All accoutrements used for aarti symbolize the five elements:[11]
- Space (akasha) - yak-tail fan
- Wind (vayu) - peacock fan
- Fire (agni) - lamp or candle
- Water (jalam)
- Earth (prithvi) - flowers
Aarti may also be performed at shrines within a business or home.[11]
Significance
[edit]
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Arti is an expression of many aspects including love, benevolence, gratitude, prayers, or desires depending on the object for which it is performed. For example, it can be a form of respect when performed for elders, prayers when performed to deities, or hope when performed for homes or vehicles. Emotions and prayers are often silent while doing arti, but this is determined by the person carrying out the ritual or the holiday involved. It's also believed that goodwill and luck can be taken through symbolic hand movements over the flame.[14]
Apart from worldly activities, arti also represents one's self - thus, arti signifies that one is peripheral to godhead or divinity. This would keep one's ego down and help one remain humble in spite of high social and economic rank. A third commonly held understanding of the ritual is that arti serves as a reminder to stay vigilant so that the forces of material pleasures and desires cannot overcome the individual. Just as the lighted wick provides light and chases away darkness, the vigilance of an individual can keep away the influence of the material world.[11]
Songs
[edit]
Hinduism has a long tradition of songs sung as an accompaniment to the ritual of arti. It primarily extols the virtues of the deity that the ritual is being offered to, and several sects have their own versions of the common arti songs that are often sung on chorus at various temples, during evening and morning artis. Sometimes they also contain snippets of information on the life of the deity.
The most commonly sung arti is that which is dedicated to all deities called Om Jai Jagdish Hare, known as "the universal arti". Other arti's are used for other deities as well such as Om Jai Shiv omkara, Om Jai Lakshmi mata, Om Jai Ambe gauri, Om Jai Adya Shakti, Om Jai Saraswati Mata, Om Jai Gange Mata, Om Jai Tulsi Mata and Om Jai Surya Bhagvaan. In Ganesha worship, the arti "Sukhakarta Dukhaharta" is popular in Maharashtra.
In Swaminarayan Mandirs, Jay Sadguru Swami is the arti that is sung. In most temples in India, arti is performed at least twice a day, after the ceremonial puja, which is the time when the largest number of devotees congregates.
In Pushtimarg Havelis, arti is performed by a sole mukhiyaji (priest) while "Haveli Sangit" (kirtan) is being sung. Devotees only watch the arti being done and do not get to take a major part in it. During bhajan or utsavs (festivals) celebrated at home, "Jai Jai Shree Yamuna" is sung while devotees perform arti. It is said that Sandhya arti is done to see if Lord Shrinathji had gotten hurt while playing outside because it is performed after sundown.
Durga Puja
[edit]During the Bengali festival Durga puja ritual drummers – dhakis, carrying large leather-strung dhak's, show off their skills during ritual dance worships called arti or Dhunuchi dance.[15]
Sikhism
[edit]In Sikhism, Gagan mai thaal is a type of arti recited by first guru, Guru Nanak[16] in either 1506[17] or 1508[18][19] at Jagannath Temple, Puri, during his Udaasi (journey) to the east of the Indian subcontinent.[17][18] Amritsar Sikhs sing Arti kirtan, which comprise a few shabads from Guru Nanak, Ravidas and other Bhagats and Gurus. According to them, it is the arti of divine wisdom in the form of the Guru Granth Sahib – Sikhism’s eternal Guru and chief scripture. It is considered the equivalent of bowing on one’s knees before the Guru Granth Sahib. This arti does not employ ritual items, but is instead sung after the daily recitation of the Rehraas Sahib and Ardās at Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, and most Gurdwaras worldwide.
An exception is the Nihang order, whose members first recite Aarta (prayers derived from banis in the Dasam Granth and Sarbloh Granth – scriptures of secondary and tertiary importance in the faith), and as in Hindu practise, employ diya, flowers, conch shells, bells, incense during the ritual.[6] This form of Sikh arti is also recited at Patna Sahib and Hazur Sahib.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Woodhead, Linda; Partridge, Christopher; Kawanami, Hiroko (2016-01-13). Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations. Routledge. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-317-43960-8.
- ^ Monier-Williams, Sir Monier (2004). Brahmanism and Hinduism: Or Religious Thought and Life in Asia. Cosmo. p. 94. ISBN 978-81-7755-873-9.
- ^ admin (2021-05-19). "Aarti । Why do we do Aarti?". Simple Hinduism. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Michaels, Axel (2004). Hinduism: Past and Present. Princeton University Press. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-691-08952-2.
- ^ Flood, Gavin D. (1996-07-13). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge University Press. p. 209. ISBN 978-0-521-43878-0.
- ^ a b "Aarti". 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "– BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London". Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ a b c James Lochtefeld, An illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, ISBN 0-8239-2287-1, page 51
- ^ Monier Williams Sanskrit Dictionary; Quote: ArAtrika n. the light (or the vessel containing it) which is waved at night before an icon; N. of this ceremony.
- ^ "Page:Konkani Viswakosh Vol1.PDF/191 – Wikisource".
- ^ a b c d e Rosen, Steven (2006). Essential Hinduism. Praeger Publishers. p. 196. ISBN 0-275-99006-0
- ^ a b c Hawley, John Stratton (2006). The Life of Hinduism. University of California Press. pp. 39–40.
- ^ Akshata: (Sanskrit) "Unbroken." Unmilled, uncooked rice, often mixed with turmeric, offered as a sacred substance during puja, or in blessings for individuals at weddings and other ceremonies.
- ^ "'Rules and significance of Aarti". Indiatoday. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- ^ Gupta, Shobhna (2002). Dances of India. New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications Pvt Ltd. p. 71. ISBN 9788124108666.
- ^ http://www.livehindustan.com/news/tayaarinews/tayaarinews/article1-story-67-67-199585.html गुरु नानक देव और उनके द्वारा प्रवर्तित मार्ग
- ^ a b "Orissa Review FEBRUARY MARCH 2012..." E-Magazine - Government of Orissa. Orissa Review.
- ^ a b "Home". 13 November 2013.
- ^ "Untitled Document". sikh-heritage.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
External links
[edit]
Arti (Hinduism)
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Arti (also spelled aarti) is a central Hindu ritual of worship in which a lighted lamp, typically fueled by ghee or camphor, is waved in a circular motion before a deity's image or idol, accompanied by the singing of devotional hymns, to express profound love and reverence.[1] This ceremony, derived from the Sanskrit word ārātrika, meaning the removal of darkness, symbolizes the dispelling of ignorance through divine light.[2]
Performed daily in Hindu temples (mandirs) and homes as part of puja (worship), arti involves a priest or devotee holding a plate with the flame, often alongside offerings like incense, water, flowers, and a fan, while ringing bells, blowing a conch shell, and playing drums to create an atmosphere of devotion.[3] In many temples, it is performed multiple times a day, with the number and timing varying by tradition and temple; for example, in some Swaminarayan temples, it occurs five times—at dawn (mangala), early morning (shangar), midday (rajbhog), dusk (sandhya), and late evening (shayan)—allowing devotees to receive blessings by passing their hands over the flame and applying the sacred light to their eyes or forehead.[1] The ritual concludes with the distribution of prasad (blessed food), fostering communal participation and spiritual connection.[4]
The significance of arti lies in its representation of the five cosmic elements—earth (flowers), water (water), fire (flames), air (wisp), and space (white cloth)—offered selflessly to the divine, signifying the eradication of ego and the illumination of the soul with godly knowledge.[1] Rooted in ancient Vedic fire rituals (homa), it serves as a thanksgiving for creation and a means to invoke the deity's presence, purifying the environment and participants alike.[5] While primarily a Hindu practice, similar light-offering rituals are found in Sikhism. During festivals like Diwali or at sacred sites such as the Ganga Aarti in Varanasi, the ceremony amplifies in scale, drawing crowds to witness its mesmerizing display of light and sound.[4]
Etymology and History
Etymology
The term aarti (also spelled arti or aarati) originates from the Sanskrit word ārātrika, which literally denotes something pertaining to the removal of rātri (night or darkness), referring to the waving of light to dispel obscurity before a deity.[6] This etymological root combines the prefix ā- (indicating direction or completion, often translated as "towards") with rātri (night), suffixed by -ka to form a noun describing the ritual act of illumination.[6] An alternative interpretation breaks it down as ā (complete or towards) and rati (love or devotion), signifying "towards the highest love for God," emphasizing the devotional intent behind the light offering.[1] Over time, the term underwent linguistic evolution from classical Sanskrit through Prakrit dialects into modern Indo-Aryan languages, such as Hindi, where it simplified to ārtī or aarti, retaining its core association with light-based worship.[7] This shift reflects broader phonetic changes in vernacular forms, adapting the formal Sanskrit ārātrika for everyday religious usage across northern and central India.[6] Early textual references to practices akin to aarti appear in Vedic literature, particularly in descriptions of fire offerings (hom or yajna) in the Rigveda, where hymns invoke Agni (fire) as a purifying light that bridges the human and divine realms.[1] More explicit mentions of the ritual emerge in the Puranas, such as the Skanda Purana, which outlines procedures for performing aarti, including the chanting of specific Vedic verses (richas) during the waving of lamps.[8] Unlike puja, which encompasses a broad spectrum of worship acts including offerings of food, flowers, and incense, aarti specifically denotes the concluding light ritual within puja, focusing on the symbolic circumambulation of flames to honor the deity.[6] This distinction highlights aarti's role as a targeted expression of reverence through illumination, integral yet distinct from the overarching worship framework.[1]Historical Development
The aarti ritual traces its origins to the ancient Vedic fire rituals, such as homa and yajna, practiced around 1500 BCE, where fire served as a medium to invoke divine presence and offer oblations.[1] These ceremonies emphasized Agni, the fire deity, as a conduit between humans and the gods, laying the foundational symbolism of light as a purifying and connective force.[9] In the post-Vedic era, the ritual evolved from elaborate sacrificial fires into more accessible lamp offerings, where flames from wicks soaked in ghee or oil were waved before deities to illuminate sacred images and dispel spiritual darkness.[10] This transformation reflected a shift toward personal devotion, making the practice suitable for both temple and domestic settings.[11] During the medieval period, particularly through the Bhakti movement spanning the 8th to 17th centuries, aarti integrated deeply into devotional expressions, enhancing emotional bhakti through rhythmic chanting and light symbolism in worship.[11] In South Indian temple traditions, Agamic texts from the 5th to 10th centuries formalized aarti as a key component of structured daily pujas, particularly in Shaiva and Vaishnava contexts, emphasizing ritual precision in grand temple environments.[12] North Indian variants, influenced by regional folk practices, adapted the ritual with vernacular hymns and community participation, broadening its appeal beyond elite temple settings.Ritual Components and Practice
Materials and Preparation
The essential materials for performing aarti in Hinduism include a lamp, typically known as a diya or deepa, which is often made of brass or other metals and placed on a thali (a decorative plate) to hold the flame.[13] Cotton wicks soaked in ghee (clarified butter) or oil are inserted into the lamp to sustain the flame, while camphor is commonly used as an alternative fuel for its pure, smokeless burn during the ritual.[13] Additional items on the thali encompass incense sticks for aromatic offerings, fresh flowers arranged as garlands or loose petals, a small bell to produce resonant sounds that invoke divine presence, a vessel of water, and a chamara (fly whisk or fan).[14][1] Regional variations in materials reflect local traditions and availability, with rural areas in South India favoring simple clay lamps for their earthen simplicity and accessibility, often handcrafted by potters.[15] In contrast, urban settings in North India commonly employ ornate brass or silver thalis and lamps, embellished with intricate engravings to enhance aesthetic devotion during temple or home rituals.[15] Preparation begins with sanctifying the space by cleaning the altar and arranging deity images or murtis in a neat, elevated position, often adorned with rangoli patterns for auspiciousness.[13] Offerings are then systematically placed on the thali—incense and flowers at the forefront, with the lamp centered—followed by safely lighting the wick using a match or taper to avoid spills, ensuring the flame burns steadily before proceeding.[14] A symbolic choice in lamp design involves using five wicks, each representing one of the panchabhuta (five elements): earth, water, fire, air, and ether, to invoke cosmic harmony in the ritual.[16] For safety and accessibility, particularly in diaspora communities, modern adaptations include electric lamps that mimic the traditional flame without open fire risks, allowing consistent practice in apartments or regulated environments.[17]Step-by-Step Procedure
The aarti ritual in Hinduism follows a structured sequence of actions, typically led by a devotee or priest in a home shrine or temple setting, with family members or congregants participating as singers or observers.[18][19] The procedure lasts 5-10 minutes during home pujas and may extend longer in temples involving multiple priests.[18][1] The ritual begins with an initial invocation to invite divine presence, often involving the ringing of a bell and the chanting of "Om" while standing before the deity's image or idol.[19][1] The performer then sequentially offers and waves items from the thali, such as incense, water, flowers, and chamara, before culminating in the central act of waving the lighted lamp—typically fueled by ghee, oil, or camphor—in a clockwise manner three, five, or seven times in front of the deity or honored person, at varying heights to encompass the full form.[20][21][1] This step is accompanied by rhythmic claps from participants, ringing of bells, or playing of instruments like conches and gongs to create a devotional atmosphere, while family members or observers sing traditional hymns.[18][1] Following the waving, prasad is distributed to bless the participants: the performer applies a tilak (sacred vermilion mark) on the foreheads of those present and shares blessed ash from the flame, vibhuti, or sanctified sweets and fruits.[18][1] Devotees often pass the flame for individuals to hover their hands over it and touch their eyes or head, symbolizing the reception of divine energy.[1] The procedure concludes with closing steps, including allowing the lamp to burn down naturally and bowing in namaskara (folded hands gesture) to express gratitude, sometimes followed by a brief circumambulation around the deity. In home settings, the flame may be safely extinguished if necessary for safety reasons.[19][21] The devotee as performer oversees the entire sequence, ensuring reverence, while observers actively engage through vocal or instrumental support.[18]Significance and Symbolism
Spiritual and Devotional Aspects
In the ritual of aarti, the waving of light before the deity symbolizes the divine effulgence, or jyoti, which illuminates and dispels the darkness of ignorance, known as tamas. This core symbolism draws from Upanishadic teachings, where light represents the revelation of the unity between the individual soul (atman) and the ultimate reality (brahman), guiding the devotee toward inner awakening and spiritual clarity.[22][23] As a devotional practice, aarti serves as a personal offering of love, humility, and complete surrender to the divine, cultivating bhakti—intense devotion that encourages meditation on the deity's form and attributes. Through this act, the worshipper expresses gratitude and seeks to merge their consciousness with the divine presence, transforming the ritual into an intimate dialogue of the heart.[24][22] Philosophically, aarti aligns with Advaita Vedanta principles, portraying the light as a metaphor for the soul's progressive journey from illusion (maya) toward enlightenment and non-dual realization of the self as one with the absolute. The flame's transient yet radiant nature underscores the impermanence of worldly attachments and the eternal glow of pure consciousness.[23] On a psychological level, the combined elements of flickering light, rhythmic chanting, and fragrant incense in aarti induce a trance-like state of focused awareness, quieting the mind's distractions and facilitating emotional catharsis by releasing accumulated tensions. This sensory immersion promotes mental purification and a profound sense of peace, enhancing the devotee's overall well-being.[22] In tantric traditions, aarti takes on an additional layer of meaning, serving as a invocation to awaken and channel shakti—the dynamic feminine energy of the divine—facilitating the practitioner's alignment with cosmic power during esoteric worship. This interpretation emphasizes the ritual's role in energizing the subtle body and harmonizing primal forces within.[25]Cultural and Social Role
Aarti holds a central place in Hindu daily life, often performed as sandhya aarti at dawn and dusk in both homes and temples to mark the transitions between day and night, fostering a rhythmic structure to personal and communal routines.[26] This practice integrates seamlessly into household worship, where families gather around a home altar to perform the ritual, thereby strengthening intergenerational bonds and promoting a sense of shared devotion and stability.[4] Beyond the domestic sphere, aarti serves key social functions during significant life events, such as weddings where it is used to welcome guests and bless the couple, symbolizing prosperity and protection in their union.[27] It also features in birth ceremonies to invoke auspiciousness for the newborn and in farewells, offering a ritual of benediction and emotional closure for departing individuals.[4] On a community level, large-scale aartis during festivals like the Kumbh Mela unite millions of participants from diverse castes and regions, transcending social divisions and reinforcing collective identity and harmony.[28] In modern contexts, aarti has adapted to global Hindu diaspora communities, where it is incorporated into cultural events and temple services abroad to maintain traditions amid migration since the mid-20th century.[29] It is also integrated into yoga retreats, blending ancient ritual with contemporary wellness practices to enhance participant experiences in settings like ashrams in India.[30] Regarding gender dynamics, women frequently lead aarti in home settings, embodying a pivotal role in sustaining family rituals.[27] Recent studies highlight aarti's contributions to mental health, noting that its participatory elements in bhakti and pooja practices reduce stress, foster emotional resilience, and promote psychological well-being through communal engagement.[31]Variations Across Traditions
Within Hinduism
In Vaishnava traditions within Hinduism, aarti rituals prominently feature icons of Vishnu or his incarnations such as Krishna.[18] These practices underscore bhakti devotion, with the lamp's light offered as a gesture of surrender to the preserver deity.[32] In contrast, Shaiva aarti in Shiva temples integrates symbols like the trident (trishula), which represents Shiva's dominion over creation, preservation, and destruction, to invoke protective cosmic energies.[33] Regional variations highlight diverse expressions of aarti. In Bengal, during Durga Puja, elaborate multi-lamp aartis are performed with the dhunuchi naach, a devotional dance where performers balance incense-filled earthen bowls (dhunuchi) on their palms, circling the goddess's idol amid rhythmic dhak drum beats to honor her victory over evil.[34] Gujarat's folk versions during Garba nights on Navratri adopt simpler forms, integrating aarti into communal circle dances with handheld lamps, blending rhythmic clapping and folk songs to celebrate feminine energy in a more accessible, community-driven style.[35] Festival-specific aartis carry profound symbolism. Evening aartis during Diwali, the festival of lights, involve lighting rows of oil lamps (diyas) before deities like Lakshmi, signifying the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil, as families gather to invoke prosperity.[36] In Navratri, a nine-night sequence unfolds with daily aartis dedicated to successive forms of Durga—such as Shailaputri on the first night and Mahagauri on the ninth—each ritual progressively building devotion through varied lamp offerings and chants to culminate in the goddess's full manifestation.[37] Aarti practices differ markedly between temple and home settings. At the Tirupati Venkateswara Temple, grand evening aartis feature orchestral elements with traditional instruments like nadaswaram and mridangam, drawing thousands for a majestic display of lights and music in honor of Vishnu. In contrast, home aartis remain intimate family affairs, where members circle a single lamp before a household shrine, fostering personal bonds and daily devotion without elaborate instrumentation.[38] South Indian aarti often incorporates Carnatic music traditions, with temple rituals in regions like Tamil Nadu featuring complex ragas and talas sung by trained vocalists during lamp-waving, enhancing the devotional depth through melodic precision rooted in ancient compositions.[39] Among tribal Hindu communities in Northeast India, such as the Rabha in Assam, aarti adaptations blend with local Durga Puja observances, incorporating indigenous elements like bamboo structures and folk chants to align Hindu rituals with animistic roots, reflecting syncretic worship influenced by regional ecology.[40]In Sikhism
In Sikhism, the aarti ritual is reinterpreted as a devotional offering to the Guru Granth Sahib, the eternal Sikh scripture, emphasizing reverence for the formless God, Waheguru, rather than idols or physical deities. This adaptation symbolizes humility and service, often manifesting through the Chaur Sahib—a ceremonial whisk waved over the scripture to evoke royal fanning and spiritual honor—while rejecting anthropomorphic worship central to Hindu traditions. The focus lies on inner devotion and the cosmic praise of the divine, as envisioned in Gurbani hymns that portray the universe itself as performing an eternal aarti through natural elements like the sun, moon, and stars.[41][42] The procedure in gurdwaras adapts the ritual to communal participation without priestly mediation, typically occurring during the Rehras Sahib, the evening prayer service. Devotees engage in collective kirtan, singing shabads (hymns) from the Guru Granth Sahib, such as the foundational aarti composed by Guru Nanak, to invoke divine presence and unity. In traditional contexts like Takhat Hazur Sahib and among Nihang Sikhs, this may include waving the Chaur Sahib alongside symbolic elements like incense or lamps arranged on a thali (plate), but always directed toward the scripture without any imagery of gods; mainstream practice, guided by the Sikh Rehat Maryada, avoids physical lamps to prevent ritualism, prioritizing vocal and musical expression. This egalitarian approach ensures that any member of the congregation can lead or join, fostering equality over hierarchical roles.[43][44][42] Historically rooted in the 16th century, the Sikh aarti was introduced by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who composed its core hymn during his visit to Jagannath Puri, transforming the temple's ritualistic display into a profound meditation on formless worship that critiques external formalities. Over time, it evolved within Sikh communal spaces like langars (community kitchens) and ceremonial sites such as the Akal Takht, integrating into Khalsa practices established by Guru Gobind Singh Ji as a symbol of martial devotion and spiritual sovereignty.[42][41] In contemporary Sikhism, the aarti plays a vital role in global events and diaspora gurdwaras, where it reinforces communal bonds and the principle of equality by involving diverse participants in shared kirtan. This practice has sustained Sikh identity abroad, adapting to multicultural settings while upholding its theological emphasis on devotion without intermediaries.[41]Aarti Hymns and Music
Structure and Common Examples
Aarti hymns in Hinduism typically consist of multiple stanzas that extol the divine attributes of the deity, often interspersed with a repeating refrain for communal participation, composed to simple yet evocative melodies drawn from Indian classical ragas like Bhairav or Kafi.[45] This format allows for building devotion through praise and rhythmic affirmation.[46] Prominent examples illustrate this structure effectively. "Om Jai Jagdish Hare," a universal aarti dedicated to Vishnu, was composed by Pandit Shraddha Ram Phillauri in the 1870s and features stanzas lauding the Lord's compassion, omniscience, and protective power, followed by the refrain "Om Jai Jagdish Hare" for collective exaltation.[47] Another widely sung example is "Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki," performed in Krishna worship, where the stanzas vividly describe the deity's adornments—like the vaijayanti garland and flute—while the refrain invokes "Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari Ki" to celebrate his playful and divine essence.[48] The lyrical themes of these hymns center on gratitude for divine benevolence, total surrender (sharanagati) to the deity's will, and earnest calls for safeguarding against worldly ills, expressed primarily in Hindi or Sanskrit to evoke emotional depth and universality.[45] Musically, aartis are enriched by accompaniment from the harmonium to sustain the raga-based tune, the tabla to maintain rhythmic tālas such as Keherwa, and cymbals (kartāl) for percussive highlights; the singing pace intensifies progressively, reaching a climactic crescendo synchronized with the waving of the ritual lamp.[1][49] These elements heighten the devotional fervor during the ritual's light-offering phase.Regional and Compositional Variations
Aarti hymns, integral to the ritual's devotional climax, exhibit significant regional variations across India, reflecting linguistic diversity, local musical traditions, and cultural nuances within Hinduism. In northern India, particularly in regions like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, aarti compositions often draw from the Bhakti movement's vernacular traditions, employing languages such as Hindi, Braj Bhasha, and Rajasthani. These hymns are frequently performed in the Haveli Sangeet style, a semi-classical form associated with the Pushtimarg sect's worship of Krishna, featuring structured call-and-response formats and rhythms like the Keherva (8-beat) or Dadra (6-beat) talas to evoke intimate devotion. For instance, the widely sung "Om Jai Jagdish Hare," composed in Hindi during the 19th century, praises Vishnu's universal attributes and is adapted in temple and home settings across North India.[45] In southern India, aarti hymns integrate with Carnatic musical idioms, utilizing Dravidian languages like Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, and often blend melodic ragas with rhythmic precision characteristic of the region's temple rituals. Compositions here may incorporate Sanskrit mantras alongside regional verses, emphasizing rhythmic complexity and group chanting during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, where stotras such as "Gajananam Bhuta Ganadhi Sevitam" honor Ganesha's protective qualities. This contrasts with northern simplicity, as southern variants frequently align with Agamic temple protocols, prioritizing orchestral elements like the mridangam and violin over the harmonium and tabla prevalent in the north.[45] Eastern and western regions further diversify aarti compositions, with Bengali versions during Durga Puja incorporating folk-infused melodies in the regional dialect to celebrate the goddess's triumph, often featuring traditional percussion like the dhak for communal fervor.[50] In Maharashtra and Gujarat, Marathi and Gujarati hymns, such as those for Ganapati, adopt semi-classical structures influenced by local bhakti poets, using ragas like Bhairavi for evening rituals. Across these variations, aarti hymns typically follow a compositional pattern of four to eight stanzas: initial invocation of the deity's form, enumeration of virtues and exploits, communal surrender, and a concluding prayer for blessings, ensuring the ritual's unifying spiritual essence amid stylistic diversity.[45]References
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aarti