Which God Is to Be Offered Which Flower? 3

3

Which God Is to Be Offered Which Flower?

Gods and goddesses are divine beings and since they reside in the astral

world, these divine bodies have the air element predominant in them.
Subsequently, they have a keen sense of smell as, by their very nature, these
heavenly beings love good smell and are naturally attracted to it, wherever
it exists.
During various rituals, gods and goddesses are invoked to descend on
earth from their respective abode by offering them objects of their choice.
When they descend on this planet, they naturally gravitate towards the
pleasing smell of flowers, perfumes and other articles that emit good
fragrances. It is on account of their fondness for an amiable smell of
flowers and incense that we use them during rituals.
Like human beings, gods and goddesses, too, have their preferences for a
particular odour, scent, colour and flower. While some prefer the smell of
the yellow marigold, others may prefer that of the white jasmine. Therefore,
only such articles, objects, leaves and flowers are used in pujas and rituals
that find favour with the presiding deity of the puja or ritual.
In Hinduism’s holy scriptures, even the count or the number of flowers
and special leaves that are to be offered is specified. Certain gods are to be
offered three red flowers while some others may be presented five or nine
of yellow or white flowers, together with the leaves of a particular tree.
When praying to Lord Vishnu, the offering of tulsi leaves is mandatory,
while for Lord Shiva, it has to be bel leaves. Lord Ganesha is pleased by
blades of the durva grass. Generally, gods and goddesses are to be offered
five leaves or flowers, the number representing the five basic elements of
nature—the panchabhootas. However, in certain specified tantric pujas, the
number may vary.
The science behind offering flowers, leaves, scents and other aromatic
substances is that they all have the characteristic of attracting positive and
divine vibrations from the surroundings and thus sanctifying the puja area,
charging the atmosphere with heavenly vibes. Mango leaves, in particular,
have this quality of gathering divine vibes from the surrounding
atmosphere. It is for this reason that a bunting of mango leaves called toran
is tied over the puja area. For the same reason, nine or eleven mango leaves
are put around the coconut that is placed at the mouth of a kalash or pot
normally used for puja and similar rituals.
Fresh flowers and their petals have a limited life, beyond which they do
not serve the purpose of attracting divine vibrations to charge up the ritual
area. Once they have withered, they cannot be used for a puja. Some
flowers and leaves stay fresh for a longer period of time. The lotus flower,
tulsi and bel leaves, the amla fruit and lemon have a longer lifespan. They
can retain their freshness for about three days and beyond due to the
presence of prana and dhananjaya vayus (prana is the most vital part of air
that sustains life and dhananjaya maintains freshness). Tulsi and bel leaves
can be re-used for puja after washing them.
A table showing the preferences of individual gods is given below.