Saying ‘Shivanand Swami’ get happiness and wealth, who is Shivanand Swami, whose Ambe comes in Gauri’s Aarti

Bharat Gaurav, Shivanand Vamdev Pandya: In Hinduism, there is importance of performing Aarti after worshiping God. Aarti is naturally and compulsorily sung in all worship, rituals and religious programs of Hinduism. Before the end of the aarti of ‘Jai Ambe Gauri’ we say – ‘Kahat Shivanand Swami Sukh Sampati Paave..’ Who is Shivanand Swami and why his name is taken in the Aarti.

Aarti is sung in every worship from temple to home. But many of the devotees who sing Aarti would not know who Shivanand Swami is. Actually his real name is ‘Shivanand Swami Vamdev Pandya’. Later he would be called Shivanand Swami. He was born in Gujarat and composed many works in Gujarati language.

Who composed the ‘Jai Ambe Gauri’ aarti?

Om Jai Ambe Gauri, Mother Jai Shyama Gauri…. This aarti is done from temple to home and is on everyone’s tongue. But it is said at the end of the Aarti. Kahat Shivanand Swami Sukh Sampati Pave… On hearing the name of Shivanand Swami, you may feel that Swami Shivanand Saraswati, the great saint of the 20th century and the founder of the Divine Life Society located in Rishikesh, was its creator? So the answer is no.

Kahat Sivanand Swami.. Who is Sivanand Swami called in Aarti

Actually, this aarti was composed by Shivanand Vamdev Pandya, born in 16th century in Gujarat. Jai Ambe Gauri Aarti was sung for the first time in the year 1601 at the end of ‘Yagya’ in the temple of Goddess Ambaji. This temple is in the premises of Markandeya Rishi Ashram located in Mandwa Buzurg village near Ankleshwar. Durga Saptashati is a part of Devi Bhagwat composed by sage Markandeya. Swami Shivanand’s ninth and tenth generation people are still in Gujarat and Markandeya Rishi Ashram is also looked after by their family members.

The ancestors of Swami Sivananda, the creator of Ambe Gauri ‘Aarti’, settled in Surat from Ankleshwar via Badnagar and it was here in 1541 that Sivananda Vamdev Pandya was born, who later became famous as Swami Sivananda.

Shivanand Vamdev Pandya was of spiritual tendency from the beginning and had a deep interest in poetry and literature. His mind always used to be happy on the banks of Narmada. Here he composed many hymns, including Om Jai Ambe Gauri… Aarti. But his works could not be published in the form of a book.

When GT Panchigar, who was the chief engineer of the Narmada Project, got an eye on the works of Swami Shivanand, he published a book named “Swami Shivanand Rachit Aarti”. Swami Shivanand’s hymns, aarti etc. have been composed in the public for years and even today the aarti-bhajans composed by him are sung in every Hindu house and temples. Many bhajans of Swami Sivanand are also sung in Garba.

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