Aarti is a devotional prayer that has devotees standing before the image of a deity or consecrated saint accompanied with singing of devotional songs in unison. This singing is often accompanied by other musical instruments such as bells, gongs and cymbals. In Hindu rituals aarti is a rich and energetic event, when the deity is bejeweled with garlands and showered with flowers along with aromatic incense sticks and waving of panchmukhi diya or five-wicks oil lamp around His stature in clockwise direction. After offering the aarti before the deity, it is brought before all the devotees, who then pass their hands by turns over the sacred flame of the aarti lamp and quickly bring them closer to their faces and heads as a gesture of receiving the auspicious energy from the holy flame.
At Shirdi, there are four aarti sessions all through the day, during which devotees congregate invoking Sai Baba, seeking His blessings. Saibaba's aarti is sung in Marathi. As a living manifestation of the abstract concept of God, Shri Sai Baba is an personification of the supreme power that guides, protects and support. This thirst that has created a bond of love and faith between Sai and his devotee is expressed through the aarti.
Everyday after the Noon-Aarti, all devotees went back to their houses or to the lodgings, Baba personally distributed udi Prasad and made enquiries about each devote, giving them advices. From some Devotees he would enquire when they came and to some devotees he would ask when they would be leaving shirdi. He ordered some devotees to leave shirdi only the next day. He enquired with some devotees about some who were in their houses and give some advices. He talked to the devotees o the extent necessary and according to their needs, only he and the particular devotee could understand the matter. After the devotees left, the devotees close to Baba would sit in rows on each side of him.
Baba would come walking slowly and sit in his seat. Those who brought offerings to Baba (Naivedya) waited outside Dwarakmai, for getting his blessings.
They would bring variety of food items like rottis, sweet rice etc. All the offerings were kept before Baba and he offered all of them to god. After that he distributed a portion of them to the devotees waiting outside the mosque and the balance served to all close devotees who were sitting either side of Baba. The food items touched by Baba became very tasty and energy giving ones. One day, Hemadpant ate such food to his satisfaction. Baba immediately gave him a glass full of buttermilk and asked him to drink. But Hemadpant drank only a little of it saying that his stomach was full and its taste was peculiar. Baba asked him to drink the balance also; as such an opportunity would never come again. His words turned true. Hemadpant did not get such a chance before Baba’s Samadhi. The aarti continued for ever even after Baba attained mukthi all over right from shirdi This aarti prayer continues even today in all his mandirs and at times in his devotees’ houses.
