Why do some flowers appeal so much to Hindu gods and goddesses?

Please the gods

In his study of the use of Sanskrit ritual manuals in central India, Indologist Gudrun Buhnemann noted that devotees, ancient and modern, observe elaborate rules for the use of flowers in the worship of particular deities .

For example, textbooks say that basil is favored by the Hindu god Vishnu but should never be offered to the god Ganesha. Lord Shiva bestows blessings on those who worship him by offering wooden apple leaves. However, the leaves of the wild apple tree should never be offered to Surya, the Sun.

The “Skandha Purana” – the longest Purana with around 81,000 verses – is dedicated to the deity Skandha, son of god Shiva and goddess Parvati. The text proposes a gradation of flowers which culminates in the superiority of the jasmine flower or “jati” for the worship of Vishnu. “The jati flower is better than all other flowers… the man who duly presents me with a splendid garland of a thousand jati flowers… has lived in my celestial city for billions of kalpas (ages),” explains Vishnu in the text.

In her classic study “Giving Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal,” religious scholar June McDaniel discusses traditional practices for worshiping Kali, the fearsome and protective mother goddess, who must be decorated red hibiscus flowers. Red flowers, in general, are considered sacred to Kali.

The 14th chapter of the ‘Shiva Purana’ contains a section on ‘Directions for Worship of Shiva’. Those who desire wealth should worship Shiva with flowers or petals of ‘kamala’ or lotus flower, chrysanthemum or marigold. Worshiping Shiva with 100 flowers is said to increase wealth and wash away all sins.

Flowers can sometimes displease the gods

The Puranas also explain which flowers might displease the gods. Red flowers, such as frangipani, and those of the screw pine should not be offered to the god Shiva. The Shiva Purana, in fact, explains why ‘ketaki’, or screw pine flower, should never be offered to Shiva in worship.

Once upon a time, as the story goes, the gods Vishnu and Brahma were wondering which of them was the higher deity when suddenly a ray of blazing light appeared between them. They decided to investigate. Transforming himself into a wild boar, Vishnu dug a tunnel in the earth to search for the origin of the lingam of light. Mounted on a goose, his divine vehicle, Brahma flew upwards in an attempt to discover the extent of light.

After much research, Vishnu indicated that he was unable to discover the place of origin of the light. However, as he flew upwards, Brahma encountered a ketaki flower that had fallen from a nearby branch. Brahma convinced the flower to support a false claim suggesting that he had reached the top of the skylight.

Just then Shiva appeared from the light and cursed Brahma and the ketaki flower for their dishonesty. Due to his arrogance and deception, Brahma would now have few devotees. For its part, although aromatic and pleasing to the eye, the ketaki flower is cursed by Shiva to never be offered to him during ritual worship.

However, Shiva later modifies the curse to allow ketaki to be used to worship him during the popular festival called “Great Night of Shiva” or Mahashivratri. Due to the increase in demand, the price of ketaki flowers increases during this annual spring festival.

However, in one of the most popular Hindu texts, the flower offered is less important to the deity than the attitude of the devotee making the offering. In the “Bhagavad Gita” or “Song of the Lord”, the deity Krishna declares that he will accept any sincere devotional offering, regardless of the type of flower: “Whoever offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water with sincere devotion, I will accept them.

Lotus for Lakshmi

During the upcoming autumn festivals, devotees around the world will honor many deities, including the mother goddess, with flowers and other rituals. Among the deities will be Sri Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune.

Lakshmi is shown seated on a lotus throne, while also holding a lotus in one hand. The lotus flower grows in ponds or muddy pools but blooms above water. The blooming lotus symbolizes many qualities associated with Sri Lakshmi, such as purity, prosperity and spiritual enlightenment.

When devotees around the world lovingly welcome the goddess into their homes on the occasion of Diwali, the festival of light, they will be sure to offer Lakshmi her favorite flower: the lotus.

This piece is republished with permission from The Conversation.