Why Do We Offer Flowers to God?
Last Updated on February 1, 2023
There are so many ways to practice your faith and love toward God. But during a Satsang at my home, my cousin asked me “Bhaiya (brother)why do we offer flowers to God? I told him exactly what I am going to tell you in this post.
It’s not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think about how to deepen your spirituality.
But what’s the meaning of offering flowers to Gods, is there not any other offering that we can offer?
Keep reading till the end and I will tell you the surprising yet sensible reason behind why In various religions we offer flowers.
Meaning Behind Offering Flowers To God
As children, most of us were taught that we can pray to God with words, meditation, our thoughts, and actions. But we are also taught to offer flowers, the major reason behind it is not fragrance or its color, but there lies a very deeper meaning.
Though, the significance of offering flowers to God can be interpreted in many ways. Like, one common interpretation is that of gratitude.
We can offer flowers as a way to say thank you to God for all that he has done for us. God has been kind to you and has showered you with gifts, so you can show your gratitude by offering flowers to him. But nah, that’s not the correct interpretation.
Flowers are presented to God as an offering because they symbolize the fullness of life, body, and soul. They are alive and will eventually die, signifying the inevitable passage of time and the ephemeral nature of all things, which was a central theme of ancient philosophy.
The History of Offering Flowers to God
The tradition of offering flowers to God is as old as history itself. It’s not just a custom that started a few decades ago. It makes sense that different cultures would offer different types of flowers to God, as many cultures have their own flowers.
The Chinese, for example, offer chrysanthemums, which are associated with positive feelings like hope and cheerfulness.
The Irish offer shamrocks, which are associated with the Holy Trinity.
Hindus offer lotuses, which represent the perfection of the soul. And various cultures offer tulips, which are associated with love. Offering flowers to God can be traced back to the Old Testament. In the book of Numbers, we read that Israel offered God lilies, turtledoves, and two young pigeons in the desert.
This is an example of how ancient cultures offered flowers to God and how they symbolized different meanings to each faith.
Are There Any Benefits Behind Offering Flowers To God?
Offering flowers to God can benefit us in many ways.
- First, it can help us learn to acknowledge God and the fruits of his infinite grace. We don’t always know when something good will come our way, so it’s easy to overlook God’s work in our lives.
- Offerings can help us recognize God’s goodness and show gratitude for his gifts.
- Many religions practice flower offerings to the gods in the hopes that the god will be pleased and bestow blessings of wealth, happiness, prosperity, and health upon the devotee.
FAQs
What Does It Indicate if A Flower Falls from A God’s Idol?
Evidently, physical causes like a gust of wind strong enough to tip the flower over are to blame for its fall from any Idol. It may appear that the flower has fallen from the idol of God on its own, and means something, this is seen as a good omen and sometimes a bad signal by certain believers. However, I find this superstition.
Where Do the Temple Flowers Go?
It is the belief of many Pandits that temple flowers should be buried as prasada to protect them from being disrespected after they have been offered to the deity.
Winding Up
We offer flowers to God as a way of showing him our gratitude, respect, and love. They are beautiful and have a calming effect on the mind, which can help us open our hearts to God and his infinite grace.
When we offer flowers to God, we can not practice being thankful but also learn the impermanence of life as the flower grows and withers, the same way we take birth and leave it.
I hope this post helped you in understanding the real meaning behind flower offerings in temples and in Puja. Thanks for reading it.
