Offerings to Kali – Flowers, Perfume and Devotion

 Before entering the temple to see Ma Kali, the pilgrim prepares an offering for the Goddess. The stalls around Dakshineswar provide many of the things that may be brought for worship: sweets, perfume, bangles, sindur, incense and garlands of flowers.

Some visitors bring their offerings with them from Calcutta. The journey, although the city is only a few miles away, may take much longer than expected because of the traffic. Sweets may also spoil during a long journey, so those who are going to Dakshineswar often set out early.

Among all the flowers offered to Ma Kali, the red hibiscus has a special place. The flower sellers say that Kali loves the colour red, and garlands of red hibiscus can be seen hanging in front of the stalls.

The hibiscus is described in some detail. Its flowers are associated with the Goddess, and the flower sellers prepare them as garlands for those who come to worship. The red flowers are displayed among the other offerings waiting for the pilgrims.

Lotus flowers are also sold in the early morning. Their buds are closed when they are brought to the stalls, but they open one by one when they are sprinkled with water from the Ganges.

The pilgrim may therefore arrive at the temple carrying several different offerings. Flowers, perfume, incense, sweets and other objects are gathered before Ma Kali, each brought as part of the act of worship.

Among these offerings, the red hibiscus remains especially closely associated with Kali. Its colour and the garlands made from its flowers form part of the scene surrounding the temple, where the pilgrim prepares to stand before the Goddess.

Source & Note

This article is based on Elizabeth U. Harding’s Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar (Nicolas-Hays, 1993). The material has been edited and adapted for this publication.