Nirajana ( Aarti, waving of light )

                                      Nirajana ( Aarti, Waving of  light )



        Worship of  Lord is done with sixteen upacaras. Aart is one among these. This is called Mangalajyoti, Mangalanirajanam.

We at home and the priest in the temple keeo the ignited lamp in the right hand and rotate it from left to right before the image of the god. In that light, the entire image is clearly seen. While showing the aarti we pray mentally. In temple, the devotees gathered sing songs specially meant for aarti. The entire atmosphere gets charged with divine presence with the ringing of bells and chorus singing of aarti songs by the devotees. We see the image in the light and get absorbed into it by standing and watching there. During that time our prayer becomes deeper.

Aarti is performed after the Abhisheka ( anointing the idol with perfumes and water ). The priest decorates the idol and offer fruits and sweets to it. That time uttering prayers, ringing bell, we express our happiness and experience a unique joy in looking at the Lord . When the aarti is taken we close our eyes and try to visualize the Lord in our mind. This is symbolic of the fact that we are all temples where god resides.
We extend our hands in the aarti and apply its warmth on our eyes closed. We do it so that the divinity in the aarti may be transferred to our heart.

Light is the image of god. The priest shows the god in light, the preceptor ( Guru ) also through the light of knowledge shows the god in us. The presiding deity of the intellect is sun, mind is moon and fire is speech. All these are lighted by the god, the consciousness. We worship that light, the teal form of the Lord. He is the giver of light to all. hence the Light of all lights.

Camphor aarti has also significance. The camphor burns fully. There is no sign or residue left. The camphor represents our vasanas ( dormant desires ), ego which distances us from god. When we realize our true nature through knowledge in the mind, the mind gets illumined. Our vasanas are burnt and our ego melta away.
The camphor cannot burn itself. It needs fire. Similarly the individual soul ( Jiva ) cannot identify itself with the Lord. It needs fire of knowledge.

Participating in aarti is an exhilirating experience. It is rightly said that three things revive a person's soul ; pleasant sights, pleasant sounds and pleasant smells.