Daily offerings

The Hindus have a way of using small bits of stuff in their daily offerings. These small gifts are everywhere – dashboards of cars, sidewalks, airport immigration desks, hotel room dressers, house shines, temples, and shop counters. My understanding is that the Hindus are in a cycle of birth – rebirth – birth – rebirth. This daily homage is one way to pave the way to a “better” life in the next reincarnation. 

A banana leaf is usually the base for the items. Half a dozen or so tiny petals of the flowers that bloom everywhere are always the main component. Bright yellows, shiny pinks, ruby reds, avocado purples … just a few laid out on the leaf.   

Incense is the other main component. Usually lit, the aromas perhaps act as a reminder that the offering is there for the gods and they also help to mask some of the more pungent local smells.

As you can imagine when you see some of these offerings inside the doorways of private homes or at the temples around town, they also come in much larger sizes and are placed on a more sturdy item like a tray. These can be 4, 5 or 6 layers high with many fruits, biscuit packages, vegetables as well as drink containers. You do see people hanging out as a family at temple, eating, and chatting quietly so perhaps this is a way of sharing their meal with the gods.      

I do love to see these and enjoy the idea of them. Their smells remind me that I am in a different place. I really like that. Occasionally though, my own insecurity makes me think of the people creating the offerings in more cynical terms … something like the title of that children’s book “Hey God, it’s me, Margaret”. Look at me, over here, honouring the gods with my offering.

I must be corrupting the whole purpose with this type of thinking.