11 Beautiful Aarti Thali Decoration Ideas For The Festive Season

The aarti thali holds a very significant place in Hindu rituals. No wonder all the twists in plots of Hindi serials and Bollywood movies are centred around the diya and the aarti ki thali. Be it Raksha Bandhan, Holi, Karvachauth, Diwali or Navratri, the thali always takes the centre stage. For major festivals, the women of the house make efforts to ensure that the aarti thali decoration is on point. While some households continue using their heirloom gold or silver thalis, most people believe in having an elaborate aarti decoration depending on the occasion.

Fun Fact

The placement of the pooja samagri including the diya, rice, kumkum, flowers, dhoop and agarbatti on the aarti thali  has an influence on the cosmic elements of the universe. Hence, aarti decoration is important not only from an aesthetic perspective but from a spiritual perspective as well. 

11 Unique DIYs For Aarti Thali Decoration

1. Navratri Aarti Thali Decoration

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Red/brown clay
• Nathni
• Brown chart paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Sketch pen/marker
• Pearls or sequins for bindi and eyes
• Diyas

Method:

1. Cut the paper in the shape and size of the thali.
2. Stick the paper on the thali with glue. Let it dry.
3. Draw a Durga outline on the paper with a sketch pen/marker.
4. Roll out the clay into a thin rope and place the dough on the outline drawn. Also line the diameter of the thali with the clay rope (you may use another colour of clay for this).
5. Place the nathni on the nose of the deity.
6. Now use sequins or stones to decorate the eyes and make the bindi of the goddess.
7. Place diyas on the thali as the final step of the Navratri aarti thali decoration.

2. Banana Leaf Aarti Dish Decoration

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Banana leaf
• Kumkum
• Scissors
• Oil
• Raw rice (roli)
• Diyas
• Flowers

Method:

1. Cut the banana leaf in the shape and size of the thali.
2. Place the banana leaf on the thali.
3. Mix the kumkum with a few drops of oil to make a paste.
4. Draw a swastika on the centre of the banana leaf using your finger.
5. Apply roli on the swastika and let it dry.
6. Place colourful diyas and flowers around the edges of the thali so the swastika remains visible.

3. Stone Work Aarti Dish Decoration

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Velvet paper
• Colourful stones
• Scissors
• Glue
• Diya/tealight
• Diamond sheet
• Flowers

Method:

1. Cut the velvet paper in the shape and size of the thali.
2. Stick the paper on the thali with the help of the glue.
3. Cut a square out of the diamond sheet and stick it in the centre of the thali.
4. Stick a few rows of colourful stones on the edges of the thali.
5. Stick stones on the four corners of the diamond sheet placed in the centre of the thali.
6. Place a diya/tealight on the centre of the diamond sheet.

4. Peacock Feather Thali

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Diamond stickers
• Peacock feathers
• Glue
• Diyas
• Sketch pen/marker

Method:

1. Draw a peacock shape in the centre of the thali with the sketch pen/marker.
2. Fill in the peacock figure with diamond stickers.
3. Arrange and stick the peacock feathers on the edge of the thali with glue.
4. Place the diyas on the other end of the thali.

5. Decorative Aarti Thali Using Gota Patti

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Gota patti
• Gota patti flowers
• Zardozi patch
• Diyas
• Glue
• Mauli threads of different colours

Method:

1. Clean the thali with a dry cloth.
2. Apply glue and stick one round of gota patti over the edges of the thali.
3. Apply a few rounds of mauli thread of your choice, covering the outer rim of the thali.
4. Go on alternating between the gota and mauli thread, working your way towards the centre of the thali.
5. Stop sticking the threads when you have just enough place to cover the centre with the zardosi patch.
6. Stick the gota patti flowers on top of the gota patti on the edges of the thali.
7. Place the diyas in the centre of the aarti decoration.

6. Aarti Thali Decoration With Flowers

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Rose petals
• Marigold flowers (genda phool)
• Mogra flowers 
• Tealight/diya

Method:

1. Start by placing the marigold flowers across the outer edge of the thali.
2. Fill the inside of the thali with white mogra flowers.
3. Use the rose petals to make a swastika on top of the white flowers.
4. Place a diya/tealight in the centre of the swastika.
5. You may use your own creativity for the design and flower selection for the aarti thali decoration with flowers.

7. Decorative Aarti Thali Using Glitter Paper

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Pompoms
• Bandhani cloth
• Glitter paper
• Glue
• Pearl or diamond stickers
• Scissors

Method:

1. Cut the bandhani cloth to fit the thali.
2. Stick the cloth on the thali with the help of glue.
3. Stick the pompoms on the outer edge of the thali.
4. Draw a diya on the glitter paper and cut it using paper scissors.
5. Stick the paper diya on top of the cloth.
6. Decorate the outer edges of the diya with embellishment stickers.

8.  Decorative Aarti Thali Using Coloured Paper

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Printed chart paper
• Paper flowers and leaves
• Glue
• Painted diya
• Scissors

Method:

1. Cut the printed paper in the shape and size of the thali.
2. Stick the printed paper on the thali with glue.
3. Draw and cut paper flowers and leaves of various sizes and colours.
4. Stick the coloured flowers and leaves on the outer edges of the thali.
5. Paint a diya in colours that complement the flowers.
6. Place the diya on the thali.

9. Pearl Thali

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Paint
• Pearl string
• Stone embellishment
• Glue

Method:

1. Paint the thali in a colour of your choice.
2. Apply glue on the pearl string and use it to make a circle in the centre of the thali.
3. Similarly, make five leaves with the pearl string around the circle.
4. Stick the stone embellishments next to the pearl strings.

10. Thali Decorated With Dough & Rice

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Raw rice
• Turmeric (haldi)
• Green food colouring
• Kneaded dough
• Beads
• Glue

Method:

1. Mix half of the rice with green food colouring.
2. Mix the other half of rice with turmeric and a few drops of water.
3. Roll the dough to make a thin rope.
4. Arrange the rope in a pattern of your choice.
5. Fill the gaps created with the dough with the different colours of rice to make a design.
6. Make 5 diyas with the dough.
7. Place one diya on the centre and 4 others on the edges of the thali.
8. Use glue to stick beads on the dough rope.

11. Embroidered Fabric Thali

You Will Need:

• Thali
• Embroidered fabric
• Glue
• Scissors
• Beaded lace
• Ganesha motif

Method:

1. Cut the fabric in the shape of the thali.
2. Use the glue to stick the fabric on the thali.
3. Stick the Ganesha motif in the centre of the thali.
4. Stick the beaded lace on the outer edges of the thali.

The act of offering aarti to deities, parents, husbands, brothers, forces of nature and also to inanimate objects like vehicles, money, books or tools has been a part of our culture since the Vedic times. Conducting aarti can serve as an expression of a whole array of emotions including love, gratitude, respect and prayer. A well-decorated aarti thali that contains all the necessary elements of the pooja is thus essential to successfully complete the ritual and evoke divine intervention in your life.