Here is a simple Jain‑dharma based answer.

1. Who was King Kumarpal?

• King Kumarpal (Kumarapala) was a Solanki (Chaulukya) king of Gujarat in the 12th century.
• He became a devoted follower of Acharya Hemchandrasuri.
• Under Hemchandra’s guidance he:

- Accepted Jain vows as a śrāvaka (householder). - Strongly promoted ahimsā (non‑violence). - Closed slaughter houses and discouraged animal killing even in rituals. - Built and renovated many Jain temples and supported Jain scholars and scriptures. ( jainknowledge.com)

Because of this, Jain tradition remembers him not just as a king, but as a Rājarṣi (a king with saintly qualities).

You can read a simple life‑story of Maharaj Kumarpal here

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2. Why is there an “Aarti” of Kumarpal Raja?

In many Gujarati Śvetāmbar Jain families and derasars you will hear “Kumarpal Maharaj ni Aarti”. The basic reasons:

1. Gratitude to a great Jain king

- He protected and spread Jain dharma in Gujarat. - He helped build important tirths (like Taranga etc.). ( jainknowledge.com) - So later Jain poets and devotees composed an aarti in his honor, expressing reverence for his Jain qualities.

1. Remembrance of an ideal śrāvaka‑rājā

- In Jainism, real worship is of the Tirthankars and Siddhas. - But we also remember and praise great Jain devotees (like Kumarpal, Samprati Raja, some śrāvaks, śrāvikās, ācāryas) as role models. - Kumarpal’s aarti is in this second category – it praises his devotion, his ahimsā‑based rule, and his service to Jain dharma.

1. Cultural / regional tradition

- The aarti is especially popular among Gujarati Jains. - It is usually sung: - At home on special days, - In some derasars after main aarti / bhakti, - Or on occasions connected with Jain kings, history, or Hemchandrasuri.

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3. Historical background of the Aarti itself

• Jain granths record in detail the life and works of Kumarpal (e.g. “Kumarpal Charitra”), and many later texts mention how he supported temple building, scriptures and non‑violence. ( jainknowledge.com)
• The exact author and exact date of the popular Gujarati “Kumarpal Maharaj ni Aarti” are not clearly fixed in early classical scriptures like Āgams.
• It appears to be a later devotional composition by Jain poets in Gujarat, based on:

- His close connection with Acharya Hemchandra, - His title as an ideal Jain king, - And the strong emotional respect Jains had for him.

So, historically:

• 12th century – Kumarpal actually lived, ruled, followed Jain dharma, supported temples and non‑violence. ( jainknowledge.com)
• Later centuries – Jain authors wrote stories, charitras and stotras about him, and in that same devotional stream Jains started singing aarti of Kumarpal Raja as a form of respect and remembrance.

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4. Spiritual point of view (according to Jain dharma)

• The main object of worship in Jainism is always:

- Arihant, Siddha, Acharya, Upadhyaya, and Sādhu.

• A king like Kumarpal is not worshipped as a God, but honored as a great Jain śrāvaka:

- to inspire us towards ahimsā, - to show how a ruler can live by Jain principles, - and to remember how Jain dharma was protected in history.

So when Jains sing “Kumarpal Maharaj ni Aarti”, the bhāva (inner feeling) should be:

• “May I also develop such faith, fearlessness in following dharma, and compassion for all jīvas, as he did.”

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If you want, in your next message you can paste the text of the exact “Kumarpal Maharaj ni Aarti” you sing at home, and I can explain its simple Jain meaning line‑by‑line.