Aarti and Homa: Kedavilakku

What are homas and aartis?

A homa is a Fire Lab. This is also known as a Yagna or Fire Ritual. Enlightened Masters consider this ritual to be the most evolved spiritual technology on the planet. Fire is chosen as the medium for this ritual, as it is considered a purifying and transforming agent, a form of energy that helps us connect with the divine. Fire acts as the bridge between the gross material world and the subtle spiritual dimensions. The Fire Lab is a sophisticated use of fire, and acting as a multi-dimensional communication technology, it is used to invoke different aspects of divine consciousness known as Archetypes or Gods, Goddesses and Angels.

Archetypes exist internally as dormant potential within our psychophysical system, as well as externally as supernatural beings with whom our prophets, seers and mystics from every religion were in contact. Every one of them has unique abilities that can transform our reality in profound ways. A homa, or Fire Lab, is the most effective way to access them.

An aarti is an important religious ritual in which a traditional light or flame is shown (that is, offered to a deity). An aarti can be lit in a wick soaked in oil or ghee, or by lighting camphor. Any ceremonious or organized worship normally ends with a holy aarti, where the lighted flame is shown to the altar as a final offering for invoking the deity’s blessings. It is then presented to the devotees for their acceptance of the divine grace.

What is a Keda Vilakku?

A Keda Vilakku is an eternal lamp, one that is kept lit forever. This eternal flame remains lighted near the deity in the temple as a special lamp.

This Keda Vilakku lighting is done for Goddess Bhagavati.

What is the importance of Goddess Bhagavati?

Bhagavati is Goddess Shakti, who combines in herself supreme power and motherly compassion. Known also by many other names, she is the active dynamic principle primarily responsible for all prosperity and is a generator of fertility, purity and abundance. It is Goddess Bhagavati who is invoked in the Keda Vilakku worship.

How is the Keda Vilakku lighting ritual performed and what are the benefits of doing it?

In this worship, a traditional lamp is kept lighted for the deity in the temple forever as a reverential offering. This worship is performed as part of the rituals involving a homa (fire lab) and aarti (light offering).

These ceremonies can get for the devotees the benevolent blessings of the mother Goddess. Also, lighting of the lamp can invoke Agni (fire) as the harbinger of auspiciousness, health and wealth. He stays in the hearts of the devotees as Jyoti, or light, along with the mother Goddess. This can help to expel all forms darkness affecting them and illuminate their lives with positive energies.