How to Perform Aarti at Home: Step-by-Step Vidhi

Aarti is the moment in a puja when the whole family stands together, the bell rings, and the light of the diya is offered to God. It takes only five to ten minutes, and you do not need a priest or any special training. This guide walks you through the complete process the way most North Indian households do it.

What aarti means

The word aarti is commonly traced to the Sanskrit aratrika, an offering that removes darkness. By waving a flame before the deity, we offer the best light we have, and then take that light back to ourselves by passing our hands over the flame and touching our eyes and head. It is both an offering and a blessing.

Things to keep ready in the aarti thali

You can keep it simple. A basic aarti thali has:

• Diya: a brass or clay lamp with a cotton wick in ghee. One wick, five wicks (pancha-aarti) or more are all fine.
• Camphor (kapur): a small piece, lit at the end.
• Kumkum, haldi and akshat (unbroken rice) for tilak.
• Flowers and a few loose petals.
• Incense (agarbatti or dhoop).
• Bell (ghanti) to ring during aarti.
• Small pot of water and a spoon, for achaman and to sprinkle around the flame at the end.
• Prasad: fruit, mishri, laddoo or whatever you offered in the puja.

Step-by-step aarti vidhi

1. Clean and prepare. Wash your hands and feet, and clean the puja space. Sit or stand facing the deity, ideally facing east or north.
2. Light the incense and diya. Light the agarbatti first, then the diya. Offer flowers and a tilak to the deity.
3. Remember Ganesha first. Many families begin with Jai Ganesh Deva because Ganesha is worshipped first, before any other deity.
4. Hold the thali and ring the bell. Hold the thali in your right hand and the bell in your left. The sound of the bell is believed to keep negativity away and focus the mind.
5. Wave the flame clockwise while singing. A widely followed pattern is four circles at the deity’s feet, two at the navel, one at the face, and seven over the whole form. If you cannot remember, simply move in slow, steady clockwise circles.
6. Sing the main aarti. Choose the aarti of the deity you worshipped, or sing Om Jai Jagdish Hare, which is sung after almost every puja. Use our aarti mode on any aarti page to follow the lyrics line by line.
7. Light camphor and chant Karpur Gauram. At the end, light the camphor and chant Karpur Gauram.
8. Circle water around the flame. Take a spoon of water and circle it around the thali once. This cools and completes the offering.
9. Take the aarti. Offer the thali to each family member. Pass both palms over the flame and touch them gently to your eyes and forehead.
10. Distribute prasad. Finish by offering prasad to everyone present.

Rules most families follow

• Do not blow out the diya with your mouth. Let it burn, or extinguish it gently with a flower or by covering it.
• Keep the thali at or above the level of your chest while waving.
• Clockwise movement is the norm, as it follows the path of the sun.
• Use pure ghee for the main diya if possible; sesame or mustard oil is used for specific deities like Shani Dev and Hanuman.
• Ladies during monthly cycles and families in sutak (after a birth or death) follow their own family traditions; there is no single rule across India.

Which aarti should I sing?

If you worship a particular deity, sing that deity’s aarti. If you are unsure, follow the weekday tradition explained in our guide on which aarti to sing on which day. You can always end with Om Jai Jagdish Hare.

A few minutes that change the whole day

Aarti does not need to be elaborate. A single diya, one aarti sung with attention, and a moment of gratitude are enough. Once it becomes a daily habit, children learn the lyrics without effort, and the home feels calmer every morning and evening.