Aarti
A chant sung every morning and evening before a deity.
Aarti is sung with proper musical instruments to please the deity.
Darshan
Literally speaking, a glimpse of or perusal of the
statue of a deity. But, from a spiritual point of view, Darshan may
be real or virtual. Virtual Darshan is when you have the portrait
of the deity in your mind's eye.
Kalash
An earthen lamp lit with oil or ghee as the fuel.
It is believed that if a Kalash is lit in the Navratras, Maa Mahamaya
fulfills the wish made by the devotee.
Navratra
Navratra is, usually, a period of nine days, but
can be as short as six days. They occur twice a year: in March and
October every year. Unfortunately, the Gregorian calendar dates are
not the same every year, because the Hindu calendar does not exactly
synchronize with it. The actual dates are announced every year by
Hindu pundits.
Navrtras are observed with prayer and fasting. Major
festivities are organized by the Mandir during these times. For more
information visit our Kalash
page.
