Arati - The light of faith

Somehow my fascination with Sun and Fire never ceases. Blame it on my sunsign that claims to be governed by Sun or the dominant element of my chart, the Fire. Whatever it is, I love to be with the golden form of energy. It somehow heals my soul and warms my blood like a cold blooded reptilian. Now this comes as a contradiction to my immense love for rains but without sunrays filtering through those clouds, its incomplete for me. Now this post is not bout the hide and seek of sun and clouds, its about the "The light of faith"... The Arati.

Last weekend I happened to visit Ganesh temple in Koramangla and my fascination again came into play. In between sacred chants and holy bells, I managed to steal the beauty of evening Arati. A silent lamp, lit up to enlighten the world. Carrying the warmth of God to hundreds of devotees. As I sat there watching, I discovered so many forms of it that never existed in my conscious mind before. I saw it in form of golden glow on faces busy praying. As a twinkle in the eyes of the priest. As a form of shakti in hands that were busy collecting the sacred flame. In the soul embodying the light of consciousness. A blissful sight of an eternal fire that burns in each one of us. I looked up and thanked God for this gift called Life.

 

PS: For my foreign readers/friends, Arati is Flame, usually ghee, camphor or oil lamps, waved by the priest before the temple Deity image at the height of a puja as a means of psychically catalyzing the flow of shakti. The lamp is then passed to all devotees present, each one passing his hands through the flame and bringing it to his eyes, thereby receiving the blessings or shakti. Mostly practiced in Hindu religion.