India is known for its rich traditions and culture. Temples are an integral part of this vivid culture. In all the temples you have visited, you must have offered fruits and flowers or sweets to the temple deity. But do you know that there are some temples in India, where offerings made to deities are very unique? These unique offerings include chocolate, liquor, DVDs, and clocks. In this article, we will tell you about these unique temples and the bizarre offerings made there.
Brahma Baba Temple, UP:
It is said in a village in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh that once a man came to the temple with the desire to become a driver. When he became a driver, he offered a watch to God as a gift. After this, the local people also started following this tradition. The clocks are kept near the branches of the temple tree when the wish is fulfilled.
Kal Bhairava temple in MP:
One can find a long array of liquor shops outside the Kal Bhairav temple in Madhya Pradesh, from where the devotees buy and offer it to the Kal Bairav, the deity of the temple. The priest pours a little amount of liquor from a saucer, prays, and then pours the liquor through a slit in the mouth of the idol. The leftover liquor is handed back to the devotees as Prasada.
Murugan temple, Kerala:
Many years ago, a Muslim boy living nearby used to ring the temple bells every day, he used to get scolded for that matter. The next day when he fell ill, his parents brought him to the temple by constantly chanting Murugan’s name. The priest asked him to offer fruits and flowers to the deity, he refused to do so and was presented with chocolates. Seeing this, Lord Murugan’s heart melted and the boy was miraculously cured of his illness. Since then devotees offer chocolate boxes to the deity and even decorate the temple deity with chocolate garlands.
Mahadeva Temple, Kerala:
At the Mahadeva Temple in Kerala, located on the premises of the National Heritage Center (NHC), devotees get CDs, DVDs, and textbooks in the form of Prasada. Temple priests believe that knowledge is the best gift of God.
Azhagar Temple, Tamil Nadu:
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Azhagar Kovil or Azhagar Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Dosa is offered to the deity here which is specially prepared in the kitchen of the temple premises. Special white rice and black urad dal are brought for cooking the dosa. Once the dosas are prepared, they are offered to the deity and then distributed among the devotees as Prasada.