Narmada Aarti
श्री नर्मदा माँ की आरती – ॐ जय जगदानन्दी
What is the Narmada Aarti?
Narmada Aarti The Narmada Aarti, opening 'Om Jai Jagdanandi', is a Hindi hymn to river goddess Narmada (Reva), sung daily at ghats like Amarkantak, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar.
The Narmada Aarti honours the Narmada, called Reva, one of the seven holy rivers of India and the only major river worshipped as a living goddess along her whole course. Its best-known form begins Om Jai Jagdanandi and carries the same six-line melody as the Om Jai Jagdish Hare aarti, which is why pilgrims pick it up quickly at the riverside. Lamps are floated and waved at dusk on the ghats of Amarkantak, where the river rises, and downstream at Omkareshwar and Maheshwar.
Narmada Aarti Lyrics (English)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Refrain
Om Jai Jagdanandi, Maiya Jai Anand Kandi
Brahma Harihar Shankar, Reva, Shiv Hari Shankar, Rudrau Palanti
Devi Narad Sharad tum vardayak, abhinav pad-chandi
Sur nar muni jan sevat, sur nar muni, Sharad pad vandanti
Meaning
You grant the wishes of sages like Narad and of Sharada herself, always new in your grace. Gods, humans and forest ascetics all serve you, and even the wise bow at your feet.
Devi dhoomak vahan rajat, veena vadyanti
Jhumkat jhumkat jhumkat, jhananan jhamkat ramti rajanti
Meaning
You ride your radiant vehicle while the veena sounds around you. The verse imitates the swaying and the jingling music of the celestial court that celebrates the river.
Devi bajat taal mridanga, sur mandal ramti
Toditan toditan toditan, turadad ramti survanti
Meaning
Cymbals and the mridang drum keep time as the circle of gods rejoices. The drum-syllables in the line paint the rhythm of a full temple orchestra playing at your worship.
Devi sakal bhuvan par aap virajat, nishdin anandi
Gavat Ganga Shankar, sevat Reva Shankar tum bhat metanti
Meaning
You preside over every world, joyful day and night. Ganga and Shiva sing your praise and serve Reva, and you clear away the confusion and troubles of your devotees.
Maiyaji ko kanchan thaar virajat, agar kapoor baati
Amarkanth mein virajat, ghatan ghaat birajat, koti ratan jyoti
Meaning
A golden platter is set for the Mother, with agar and camphor lamps burning on it. She dwells at Amarkantak and on every ghat, her presence shining like millions of jewelled flames.
Maiyaji ki aarti, nishdin padh gaavari
Ho Reva jug-jug nar gaave, bhajat Shivanand Swami, japat Harinand Swami manvanchhit paave
Meaning
Whoever reads and sings the Mother's aarti day after day, and whoever remembers Reva age after age, has their heart's wish fulfilled through steady devotion.
Meaning & Significance
The aarti treats the Narmada not as a stream to be crossed but as a mother who presides over creation. Calling her Anand Kandi, the root of joy, it links her worship to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and repeats the name Reva, her older Sanskrit title. The middle verses are almost entirely sound: rolling drum-syllables and jingling music that a singer performs rather than simply reads, so the words themselves become an offering of festival noise at the water’s edge.
Geography is woven into the praise. She is named at Amarkantak in the Maikal hills where she rises, and at the many ghats downstream where lamps are floated each evening. Because two of the twelve Jyotirlingas, Omkareshwar and Mahakaleshwar near Ujjain, stand in her basin, the river is tied closely to Shiva, and a popular belief holds that even her pebbles are self-formed Shivalingas.
How Do You Perform the Narmada Aarti?
- Face the river or the image — Stand at the ghat or before a picture of Maa Narmada, ideally at dawn or dusk when riverside aartis are traditionally held.
- Light the lamp — Prepare a lamp with ghee or camphor, as the aarti itself mentions agar and camphor wicks on a platter.
- Begin with the refrain — Start from 'Om Jai Jagdanandi' and return to it after each verse, keeping the familiar Om Jai Jagdish tune.
- Wave the flame — Circle the lit lamp clockwise before the deity or river while singing, ringing a bell if one is at hand.
- Float a diya and offer water — Where custom allows, set a small leaf-lamp on the water, then take a little river water in your palms as a closing gesture of respect.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Devotees sing it for calm, gratitude and a sense of connection to the sacred river, not as a magic formula.
- Settles the mind: The repeated refrain and steady rhythm give a simple focus, which many find calming at the start or close of the day.
- Expresses river gratitude: It turns thanks for the water that sustains farms and towns along the Narmada into a daily devotional habit.
- Ties worship to Shiva: Because the Narmada basin holds Omkareshwar and other Shiva shrines, singing it deepens a devotee's link to Shiva worship.
- Marks the pilgrimage: For those on the Narmada Parikrama, the aarti is a shared evening ritual that binds pilgrims together at each ghat.
- Passes on the tradition: Its easy, well-known melody makes it simple for children and new devotees to learn and carry forward.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
The Narmada Aarti is traditional and its author is not recorded. The closing verse names Shivanand and Harinand, likely the devotees or lineage that popularised this text rather than a single dated poet. It is sung to the melody of the widely known Om Jai Jagdish Hare aarti, which helped it spread quickly across temples and ghats in the Narmada valley and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Narmada Aarti?
The Narmada Aarti, opening 'Om Jai Jagdanandi', is a Hindi hymn to river goddess Narmada (Reva), sung daily at ghats like Amarkantak, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar.
Why is the tune the same as Om Jai Jagdish Hare?
This most popular version is set to the Om Jai Jagdish Hare melody and six-line structure, which is why worshippers who know that aarti can sing the Narmada Aarti easily.
When is the Narmada Aarti sung?
It is performed at riverside ghats at dawn and dusk, and with special devotion on Narmada Jayanti, the river goddess's appearance day in the month of Magha.
What does calling Narmada 'Reva' mean?
Reva is the older Sanskrit name of the Narmada, referring to her leaping, restless flow. The aarti uses both names for the same goddess and river.
Where does the Narmada river begin?
The Narmada rises at Amarkantak in the Maikal hills of Madhya Pradesh and flows west for over 1,300 km to the Arabian Sea, which the aarti honours by name.
॥ जय माँ नर्मदा ॥