Why is the waving of lit lamps (aarati) performed twice a day?

1. Introduction

The ritual of aarati refers to calling out to God with intense yearning (artataa). On the Path of Ritualistic Worship (Karmakand) prescribed by Hindu Dharma, aarati forms an important aspect. It involves worship of the divine by waving a lit lamp in front of a Deity, accompanied by the singing of devotional hymns. If one calls out to a Deity through the medium of the aarati then one is granted either a vision of God in the form of light or the form of the Deity itself.

2. Aarati timings

3. What is the science behind performing aarati at sunset?

At sunset the proportion of the absolute fire element in the sun's rays starts reducing and the presence of the spiritually impure raja-tama particles in the atmosphere starts increasing. The generation of raja-tama frequencies also starts increasing. This increases the movement of the subtle distressing energies in the environment. To gain protection from distress in such a spiritually impure environment, it is essential to invoke the Deities' spiritually pure presence and frequencies. Performing aarati invokes the Deities as follows:

• Through the frequencies of sound emitted by the devotional hymns sung and accompanying musical instruments played during the ritual and

• By bringing the Deities frequencies into the orbit of the universe.

As a result of aarati, the proportion of the frequencies of Deities, increases and the proportion of the subtle distressing vibrations and energies, decreases in the environment. This creates a subtle protective armour around the devotee's body.

Related Links

• Aarati - a spiritual perspective
• Pujaa platter arrangement
• Sattva, raja, tama
• Subtle distressing energies/negative energies