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arati

arati

9.9
A Hindu ceremony where priests wave lighted lamps before a god as an offering
  • noun
  • /ɑːrɑːti/
  • Indian
translation icon : arati
  • During the festival, the priests performed the arati with great devotion, waving the lighted lamps before the statue of the deity.

Examples

  • The students must all attend morning and evening arati and classes.

    Blog text (12)
  • I saw all the idols breathing, batting their eyelids, smiling, talking amongst themselves, and then standing absolutely still during the arati, etc.

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  • Every evening, devotees gather in the temple for the arati, where they offer prayers while lamps flicker brightly.

  • The harmonious singing accompanied the arati, creating a spiritual atmosphere as the faithful watched the lamps being waved.

Surface Forms

arati singular
aratis plural

Etymology

Arati comes from Hindi and older Sanskrit and refers to a ritual where lighted lamps are waved before a deity. It literally means a 'light offering', so the ceremony is remembered as giving light to the god and driving away darkness.