Arati for beginners

[Cosinuskurve]

Namaste, I'm looking for an explanation of arati. (is it a song? Is it the name of the ceremony? etc.) and a how-to perform it for beginners.

[Jainarayan]

Namaste Cosinuskurve,

Namaste, I'm looking for an explanation of arati. (is it a song? Is it the name of the ceremony? etc.)

It's both of those. It's an offering of light to the deities, as well as the songs sung during the offering. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarti

Typically the light is a ghee lamp, a cotton wick soaked in ghee (clarified butter), in a clay or metal lamp such as this:




Anything deep enough to contain the oil and support the wick, and is burn proof, such as a brand new safety ashtray, can be used. While ghee is traditional, people use regular cooking oil too.

and a how-to perform it for beginners.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarti#Practice

At the end of my home puja I take the lamp and circle it around my altar. I don't sing, but I recite a prayer.

As with any home worship, it can be as simple or elaborate as your means allow. The purpose is to show love and devotion to God.

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste, I'm looking for an explanation of arati. (is it a song? Is it the name of the ceremony? etc.) and a how-to perform it for beginners.

Vannakkam Conisuskurve: Generally it refers to the waving of lamp. Depending on the temple, a different mantra or song may be sung. In North Indian temples, usually it is the Jai Jagadisha hare song, but in the South or at home that varies.

The most common deepa (aarti) lamp looks like this: http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=aarti+...t:429,r:16,s:0 but it can be something simpler like a clay one on a tray. The minimum for waving the flame is 3 circles in a clockwise direction (from your point of view, not the deities.) Aarti is usually the final culmination of a puja, and is accompanied bu the ringng of bells, often building to a peak, and rung louder as it ends, then stopping completely to indicate its over.

Aum Namasivaya

[Rudy]

I just use a candle in a bowl... Oil and flame make me nervous..

[wundermonk]

Yes, the Aarti is a lamp/diya used in temples when the priest recites shlokas/mantras to invoke the blessings of the deity for the devotees.

The Aarti is also a ceremony in which a newcomer is welcomed into a home. This happens when a husband-wife jointly enter their home after marriage for the first time. This also happens when a new born enters home from the hospital for the first time, etc.

The idea is to mix water with kumkum to obtain a slighly watery saffron colour. This is then poured into a plate. The new entrant(s) stands outside the entrance of the home. Usually, two elderly ladies, hold the plate from each side and rotate it slowly while singing shlokas/songs invoking good luck for the new entrant(s). The new entrant also sometimes puts a coin into the plate.

The coin is retained ()and the water is thrown out after the ceremony.

[Jainarayan]

I just use a candle in a bowl... Oil and flame make me nervous..

Not to worry, the oil reservoir won't catch fire. If the flame on the wick touches the oil, it will go out. The flame will drown.

I have several of these:

http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/dispP...ya&prodId=7128

They're actually tiny and hold about 2 Tbsp. of oil or ghee. An ounce of oil will burn for about an hour. When it's used up, the wick will burn down to nothing.