Mantraisageneralnamefortheverses,formulasorsequenceofwordsinprosewhichcontainpraise,arebelievedtohavereligious,magicalorspiritualefficiency.DifferenttypesofMantrashavedifferenttypesofvibrationsinit.ThepowerfulvibrationscreatedbyMantrachantingstroketheChakrastoattractdivineforces.Thisprocessmysteriouslyhealsourspiritual,physicalandpsychologicalbody.Manhasunlimitedpowersinsidehim.Thesemiraculouspowerscanbeawakenedwiththemiraculouspowerofmantrameditation.
AartiissaidtohavedescendedfromtheVedicconceptoffirerituals,orHoma.AartiisderivedfromtheSanskritwordAratrika,whichmeanssomethingthatremovesRatri(darkness).AartiisgenerallyperformedattheendofapujaorbhajansessionofalmostallHinduceremoniesandoccasions.Itinvolvesthecirculatingofan'Aartiplate'aroundadeityandisgenerallyaccompaniedbythesingingofsongsinpraiseofthatdeva.Indoingso,theplateissupposedtoacquirethepowerofthedeity.Thepriestcirculatestheplateorlamptoallthosepresent.ItisalsobelievedthatPujaceremonygetscompletedwiththeperformanceofAartiandithaslotofstrengthtoovercomenegativity,darknessandignorance.
Theword"chālīsā"isderivedfrom"chālīs",whichmeansthenumberfortyinHindi,astheChalisahas40verses.Therefore,Chalisameans"fortyverse"prayer.Theyarerecitedoverandoveragainorchantedbygroups.EachgodhasdifferentChalisa.ChalisaisconsideredbestmethodofpropitiatingyourIshtadevtainmodernage.Inordertogettheblessingsthischalisashouldbechantedregularlyfor40days.Thisappisabeautifulcollectionofvariouspopularmantrasaartiandchalisa.