The Four Daily Aartis of Shirdiशिरडी की चार दैनिक आरतियाँ

Four aartis are sung every day at the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi: the Kakad Aarti before dawn, the Madhyan Aarti at noon, the Dhoop Aarti around sunset and the Shej Aarti at night. Together they follow the rhythm of a day in Baba's company: waking him in the morning, honouring him at midday, lighting the lamps at dusk and putting him to rest at night. The tradition of offering aarti to Sai Baba began in his own lifetime, and the hymns sung today come from a book that devotees across the world use.

This page explains what each aarti is, roughly when it is held, and the main hymns sung in it. It does not reproduce the whole aarti book. Exact timings are set by the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust and can change for festivals and seasons, so check the official site sai.org.in before you plan a visit.

The four aartis at a glance

The hymns are mostly in Marathi, with some Sanskrit verses and a few Hindi songs. About half were composed for Sai Baba by devotees, among them Dasganu Maharaj and Madhav Adkar, and the rest are traditional aartis of the Marathi saints such as Namdev, Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, which devotees sing to Baba as their guru.

Kakad Aarti (early morning)

"Kakad" is a lamp made of twisted cloth wicks soaked in ghee. The Kakad Aarti is held in the dark hours before sunrise, and its songs are songs of awakening, much like the morning songs sung to Vithoba at Pandharpur. It is the longest of the four. After it, the day's rituals at the samadhi begin, including the bathing of the murti.

Hymns commonly sung in the Kakad Aarti include:

• "Joduniya kar charani thevila matha": a prayer with folded hands and head at the guru's feet.
• "Utha Panduranga ata" and "Utha utha Shri Sainath guru": songs asking the Lord, and Baba, to wake and give darshan.
• "Ghewuniya pancharati": "taking the five-wick lamp, let us do Baba's aarti".
• "Kakad aarti karito Sainath deva": the kakad aarti proper.
• "Prabhat samayi": a group of morning verses in praise of the guru.
• "Sai raham nazar karna" and "Raham nazar karo ab more Sai": two Hindi songs asking Baba's kind glance.
• "Shri Sadguru Baba Sai": a closing song of surrender.

Madhyan Aarti (noon)

The Madhyan Aarti is the main worship of the day and is offered after naivedya, the midday food offering. In Baba's lifetime a noon aarti was offered to him at Dwarkamai, and the Shri Sai Satcharitra describes devotees gathering for it. The famous "Aarti Saibaba, saukhyadatara jiva" is sung here.

The Madhyan sequence includes:

• "Aarti Saibaba, saukhyadatara jiva": the best-known Sai aarti, attributed to Madhav Adkar.
• "Jai dev jai dev Datta Avadhuta, O Sai Avadhuta": an aarti that sees Baba as Dattatreya and speaks of his respect for both Hindus and Muslims.
• "Shirdi majhe Pandharpur": a short song by Dasganu ("Ganu mhane") that calls Shirdi his Pandharpur and Baba his Vitthal.
• "Ghalin lotangan": prostration and prayer, joined to the well-known Sanskrit verses "Tvameva mata cha pita tvameva" and "Kayena vacha".
• "Ananta tula te kase re stavave": the Namaskarashtak, eight verses of salutation to Shri Sainath.
• "Aisa yei ba": a song inviting Sai as Digambara, the form of Datta.
• "Sada satswarupam chidananda kandam": the Sanskrit Shri Sainath Mahimna Stotra.
• "Hari Om yagyena yagyamayajanta": the Vedic mantra pushpanjali, offering flowers with mantras.
• "Karacharanakritam": a Sanskrit verse asking forgiveness for every fault in the worship.

Every aarti ends with the cry "Shri Sachchidanand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ki Jai".

Dhoop Aarti (around sunset)

The Dhoop Aarti is held as evening falls, so its time moves a little with the seasons. "Dhoop" is incense, and lamps are lit across the temple. Many of its hymns are the same as at noon: it opens with "Aarti Saibaba" and continues with "Ghalin lotangan", the Namaskarashtak, "Aisa yei ba", the Mahimna Stotra, the mantra pushpanjali and "Karacharanakritam". In many homes too, the evening lamp-lighting is the time for Sai aarti.

Shej Aarti (night)

The Shej Aarti is the last service of the day. Its songs are tender lullabies that ask Baba to rest, and after it the shrine closes for the night. Hymns commonly sung include:

• "Owalu aarti majhya Sadgurunatha": the opening aarti to the Sadguru.
• "Aarti Dnyanaraja": the aarti of Sant Dnyaneshwar.
• "Aarti Tukarama": the aarti of Sant Tukaram.
• "Jai jai Sainath ata pahudave mandiri ho": asking Sainath to lie down and rest in the temple.
• "Ata swami sukhe nidra kara Avadhuta": "now, Swami, sleep in peace".
• "Pahe prasadachi vaat" and "Pavala prasad": songs of waiting for and receiving the Lord's prasad.

The Thursday palkhi to the Chavadi

According to the Satcharitra, in his later years Sai Baba slept on alternate nights at the Chavadi, a small village building near Dwarkamai. Devotees escorted him there in a joyful procession with music, lamps, flags and a decorated horse, and an aarti was offered to him at the Chavadi. In memory of this, a palkhi (palanquin) procession is held in Shirdi every Thursday night. Baba's padukas and photo are carried from the Samadhi Mandir past Dwarkamai to the Chavadi, an aarti is sung there, and the procession then returns. Thursday crowds in Shirdi are large, so devotees who want to see the palkhi usually arrive early. Palkhis are also taken out on major festivals such as Ram Navami, Guru Purnima and Vijayadashami.

Attending the aartis in Shirdi

• Check current aarti and darshan timings, and any booking arrangements for aarti passes, on sai.org.in. Timings change on festival days.
• Kakad and Shej aartis draw smaller crowds than Madhyan and Dhoop, but many devotees consider them the most peaceful.
• Dress modestly, keep phones away during the aarti, and follow the instructions of temple staff and security.
• If you cannot attend, the Sansthan has at times offered live darshan online; check the official site for current options.

To learn more about the town and its holy places, see the Shirdi guide.

Following the daily aartis at home

Few households sing the full aarti book every day. A common home practice is to sing "Aarti Saibaba" in the morning or evening, add the Namaskarashtak or "Ghalin lotangan" if there is time, and close with "Karacharanakritam" and the jaikara. On Thursdays, and especially during the nine-Thursday vrat, many families sing the longer evening sequence together. Short daily prayers are given on the Sai mantra page.

Frequently asked questions