Significance of Aarati

It has a deep philosophical and ritualistic significance.



The flame in the Aarti represents the soul of the devotee, which is offered to the deity. To forget the self in the sacred invocation of heavenly power,to be one with it, is the quintessence of Aarati as of bhakti ...Waving of the light before the deity is a ritual known as Aarati,which is done towards the close of the worship sequences. Either camphor (karpura) or a set of three, five or seven wicks dipped in ghee or oil is used.



The light containers may be in the form of a serpent (Naga deepa), chariot (Ragha deepa), elephant (Gaja deepa),Nandi (Bull deepa), and so on. The first round of waving must be from the head of the deity to th feet, the second from the face to the knees, and the third from the neck to the loins.



(Condensed from Tattavaloka, Dec. 2008) - - (Taken from Sri Ramana Jyoti, February 2009)



--

Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram