Arati is the act of presenting a lit lamp to a god.
- The god may take various forms, including a portrait, statue, symbol (svayambhu image) such as the shalagram, or even a natural phenomena such as the Ganges River.
- The arati lamp is often a shallow jar with a ring-shaped handle to shield one's hands and a cotton wick saturated in oil or clarified butter.
- This is one of the sixteen upacharas (traditional gifts) made to a god during devotion.
- The giving of light is this specific deed.
Arati is the most popular form of Hindu devotion, done on a daily basis in Hindu households and temples all over the globe.
- Because of this, the term arati is often used to any act of worship, including the singing of panegyric songs during liturgy.
- Arati also helped to offer the devotees (bhakta) in the temples a better view of the god before electric lights were developed, when the temples were considerably darker.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
