Aarti – Aarta by Tarna Dal Misl Shaheedan (Anandpur Sahib)

See Also: Aarti at Anandpur Sahib

Aarti-Aarta is being carried out by the Nihang Singhs of Tarna Dal Misl Shaheedan, in the holy city of Anandpur Sahib at the majestic Gurdwara Shaheedi Bagh Sahib.

The Aarti – Aarta prayers shown in the video above appear on Pages 67 -103 in the Sandhyia Nitnem Gutka of Gurdwara Shaheedi Bagh Sahib.

According to Mukat Marag Granth Patshahi 10, the Maryada for doing Aarti of Guru Granth Sahib Ji was established (or at least first outlined in detail in a written text) by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in Abachal Nagar (Hazur Sahib). Mukat Marag Granth prescribes 5 Shabads from Guru Granth Sahib Ji to accompany the Aarti ceremony (which is to be conducted with “Deeva Parkash” – the lighting/presentation of lamps before Guru Granth Sahib Ji). Folios of a Puratan Mukat Marag Granth Patshahi 10 Manuscript (explaining the Maryada) are shown in the early part of the video above.

The Aarti-Aarta done by Tarna Dal Misl Shaheedan somewhat resembles how the prayer is done at Takht Patna Sahib, where it is done without the Shabad Kirtan and starts with the bani from Guru Granth Sahib Ji. This differs from the Aarti-Aarta of Budha Dal, which starts with the bani from Sri Dasam Granth Sahib first (similar to how the prayer is conducted at Takht Hazur Sahib).

Many of the Aarti Shabads from Sri Dasam Granth Sahib are also found within a manuscript called Aarti (shown in the video), preserved at SGPC’s Sri Guru Ram Das Library in Amritsar (Under the manuscript accession number: 2713). The relevant folios of that manuscript appear in the video from about 8:56

Punjab Digital Library has digitized this manuscript (Link to the Manuscript).

Gurdwara Shaheedi Bagh Sahib is pretty much the only major non-SGPC Ithihasic (historical) Gurdwara Sahib in Anandpur Sahib today and continues to maintain the Puratan Khalsa traditions/Maryada. It is also important to recognize that there are many smaller/non-historical Gurdwaras which too most likely maintain Puratan traditions/practices in Anandpur Sahib, but Gurdwara Shaheedi Bagh Sahib carries the distinction of being an Ithihasic Puratan Maryada Gurdwara Sahib, which is connected to historical events from the lifetime of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Current as of 2022, this historical shrine is managed by Tarna Dal Misl Shaheedan (a historically significant unit of the Nihangs) under the guidance of the revered Sant Baba Gurdev Singh Ji.