Arati is from the Sanskrit āratī (आरती — devotional light, lamp ceremony). A modern American baby name in the broader Sanskrit-Hindu heritage aesthetic. Arati refers to the foundational Hindu ritual of waving a foundational lit lamp (deepak) before a deity — central to the foundational Hindu puja worship tradition + the foundational ritual conclusion of all major Hindu ceremonies. Notable bearer: Arati Saha (1940-1994) — foundational Indian Bengali long-distance swimmer + the foundational first Asian woman to swim the English Channel (September 29, 1959 — 16 hours from Cape Gris-Nez France to Sandgate England) + foundational recipient of the Padma Shri (1960, the foundational first sportswoman to receive India's foundational civilian honor). Foundational figure in modern Indian + Bengali sports heritage + women's achievement in 20th-century South Asia.
Featured throughout Bengali heritage.
Arati reduces to seven.