Banke Bihari Aarti

By the BhaktiRas Editorial Team · Updated 14 July 2026

Every evening at the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan, the curtain before the deity is drawn and re-drawn in short glimpses, and among the songs that rise in that charged half-light is this aarti. The words are a worshipper’s running commentary on what the eyes are drinking in: the peacock-feather crown, the flute at the lips, the feet that scripture says released the Ganga. Sung while a lamp is circled before the image, the hymn moves between describing Krishna’s beauty and confessing helpless devotion to him. It is short, easy to carry in memory, and equally at home in a temple hall or at a small home altar during Krishna worship, Janmashtami, or any quiet lamp offering.

Banke Bihari Aarti Lyrics

Refrain

Shri Banke Bihari teri aarti gaun,
Hey Giridhar teri aarti gaun.
Aarti gaun pyare aapko rijhaun,
Shyam Sundar teri aarti gaun.

1

Mor mukut pyare sheesh pe sohe,
pyari bansi mero man mohe.
Dekh chhavi balihari main jaun.

Meaning

The peacock-feather crown looks lovely on your head, and the sweet flute steals my mind away. Seeing this vision of you, I would give myself up completely. The verse fixes on two signature marks of Krishna and admits the worshipper is undone by the sight.

2

Charnon se nikli Ganga pyari,
jisne saari duniya taari.
Main un charnon ke darshan paun.

Meaning

From your feet flowed the beloved Ganga, the river that has carried the whole world across. May I be granted the sight of those very feet. Here the singer recalls the belief that the sacred river sprang from the Lord's feet and asks only for a glimpse of them.

3

Das anath ke nath aap ho,
dukh sukh jeevan pyare saath aap ho.
Hari charnon mein sheesh jhukaun.

Meaning

You are the protector of this helpless servant; in sorrow and in joy, through all of life, you stay beside me. So I bow my head at Hari's feet. The tone shifts from admiring beauty to leaning on Krishna as a lifelong companion and refuge.

4

Shri Haridas ke pyare tum ho,
mere Mohan jeevan-dhan ho.
Dekh yugal chhavi bali bali jaun.

Meaning

You are the beloved of Shri Haridas; you, my Mohan, are the treasure of my life. Beholding the paired vision of Radha and Krishna together, I offer myself again and again. The closing verse names the tradition's founder and ends on the divine couple, the heart of Vrindavan worship.

Meaning & Significance

The aarti works as a spoken darshan, putting into words what a devotee sees and feels while the lamp is waved before Banke Bihari. It opens by declaring the whole point of the ritual: the song exists to please Krishna, not to earn anything back. That single-minded aim, delighting the beloved for its own sake, is the signature of the Haridasi mood of devotion.

From there the verses read like a gaze travelling over the image. First the eyes catch the peacock-feather crown and the flute, and the singer confesses that the sight has captured the mind. The next verse turns downward to the feet, tying them to the belief that the Ganga itself issued from them, so that a mere glimpse of those feet feels like touching the source of purity. The mood then deepens from wonder into trust: Krishna is named the protector of the helpless and the companion who stays through both sorrow and joy, which is why the head bows willingly.

The final verse anchors the hymn in place and lineage. By calling Krishna the beloved of Shri Haridas, it points to the Vrindavan mystic whose devotion is said to have drawn the deity into visible form, and it ends not on Krishna alone but on the paired vision of Radha and Krishna, the twin image at the center of Braj worship. Across four short stanzas the song moves from beauty to refuge to surrender.

How Do You Perform the Aarti?

1. Set up the lamp — Place an image or photo of Banke Bihari at eye level and light a ghee or oil lamp with an odd number of wicks, along with an incense stick if you have one.
2. Begin with the refrain — Start by singing the opening lines, "Shri Banke Bihari teri aarti gaun," holding the lamp in your right hand at chest height.
3. Circle the lamp — Move the lamp slowly in clockwise circles before the deity, covering the feet first, then the torso, then the face, keeping the motion gentle and steady.
4. Sing the verses in order — Move through the numbered stanzas, returning to the refrain between them as it is sung in Vrindavan, letting the pace stay unhurried.
5. Close with the jaikara — End with the traditional call, offer a final full circle of the lamp, then set it down and bow with folded hands.
6. Share the light — Cup your palms briefly over the flame and touch them to your eyes and head, then distribute any prasad you have offered.

What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?

Regularly singing the Banke Bihari Aarti is valued less for any transaction and more for the steadiness and warmth it brings to daily worship. Devotees commonly describe the following:

• A settled mind: The short, repeating lines are easy to memorise and give the attention a single point to rest on, which many find calming at the close of the day.
• A felt connection to Vrindavan: Singing the same words used at the Bankey Bihari temple links a home altar to the living evening worship of Braj.
• A mood of loving devotion: The verses cultivate madhurya bhava, relating to Krishna as an intimate beloved rather than a distant figure of power.
• A gentle daily rhythm: Because it takes only a few minutes, the aarti fits easily into a regular morning or evening practice without strain.
• Fitting for festivals: It suits Janmashtami, Holi, and other Krishna occasions, and can be sung solo or by a group with equal ease.

Who Wrote This Aarti?

This aarti belongs to the living devotional practice of the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan, whose deity was revealed by the mystic-singer Swami Haridas in the sixteenth century. No single poet’s name is stamped on these lines; they took their present shape through generations of temple singers and household worshippers who set the words to the evening lamp ceremony. The verses lean on the intimate, friend-and-beloved mood (madhurya bhava) that the Haridasi tradition is known for, addressing Krishna not as a distant ruler but as the playful boy of Braj. Because it grew inside oral practice rather than from a printed manuscript, small wording differences appear between regions and songbooks; the version here follows the text sung in Vrindavan and printed by the temple’s own sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Banke Bihari Aarti?

Banke Bihari Aarti is a Hindi devotional lamp-offering hymn sung to Lord Krishna in his Bankey Bihari form at Vrindavan, praising his peacock crown, flute, and lotus feet while the worshipper waves a lit lamp before him.

What does the name Banke Bihari mean?

Banke means bent or curved, pointing to Krishna's classic three-bend standing pose, and Bihari means one who delights or wanders, especially in the groves of Braj. Together the name describes the enchanting, playful form of Krishna enshrined in Vrindavan.

Where is the Banke Bihari temple?

It is in Vrindavan, in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, and is one of the most visited Krishna shrines in the Braj region. The deity there is linked to the sixteenth-century mystic Swami Haridas.

When is this aarti sung?

It is part of the temple's daily lamp ceremony and is also sung at home during morning or evening worship and on Krishna festivals such as Janmashtami and Holi. There is no fixed rule, so any time set aside for devotion works.

Who composed the Banke Bihari Aarti?

No single named poet is credited; the hymn is a traditional composition that took shape through the oral practice of the Bankey Bihari temple and the Haridasi tradition of Vrindavan, which is why small wording variations exist across songbooks.

Can I sing it if I do not know Hindi?

Yes. The Roman transliteration lets anyone sound out the words, and the verse-by-verse English meanings on this page explain what each line is saying, so you can sing with understanding even without reading Devanagari.

बोलिए वृन्दावन बिहारी लाल की जय!