Today is Diwali.. and EVERY household in India recites the AARTI.. but very few even know the history of this most popular Religious Poem of modern times

Here is a brief .. but little known history of the Aarti!

A powerful literary figure of the 19th century Shardha Ram “Phillauri” was a Sanatani missionary. He was also a social reformer and a trend-setter in the fields of Hindi and Punjabi literatures. His contribution towards the evolution of modern Hindi is imseminal. While on his death-bed he had said, “There are two writers of Bhasha in the whole of India. To-day only one shall remain.” His reference to the other Bhasha writer was to the celebrated Bhartendu Harishchandra. This dying declaration of Shardha Ram might have seemed an exaggerated estimation. However, with the passage of time, the truth stands established. Renowned critic Ram Chander Shukla writes “His language was forceful and his speech hypnotic. He was a true Hindi lover and an effective writer of his times.”