Aartis are the sonnets (poetic or lyrical), in the introductory or in the form of praise of a God.
It is a ceremony of worship that takes place in front of murtis (carved statues of god that the god is actually present in) of the Gods. The priest has a tray with a diya, fferings of food, water, flowers, incense and a small bell. The five elements are represented in Arti: fire, earth, water, air and wind.the 5 senses touch taste sight smell and hear and it also represents wisdom Various rituals are carried out with the Diya. The ceremony ends with everyone sharing the food which has been offered to the Gods
Here are some Aartis (devotional songs) of various Indian gods and goddesses in the Marathi/English language. Aartis are performed during the puja of these deities.
