(“lamp”) The twelfth of sixteen traditional upacharas ("offerings") made to a god as part of devotion, following the paradigm of treating the deity as a respected guest.
The god is offered a light offering by waving a lit lamp in front of it during this activity.
This practice is also known as arati, a term that is typically used to refer to worship in general.
The fundamental aim here, as with other upacharas, is to demonstrate one's devotion for the god by ministering to the deity's needs.
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