The Offering
Devi rushed down the stairs, gathering the pleets of her sari as she hurried towards the temple gate. The rhythmic beat of drums echoed through the air while the deep call of conch shells rose above the crowd. It was time for the aarti,the offering of light to the Divine. This temple was almost three hundred years old. It was small and unassuming but stood with a quiet dignity that only time could bestow. Beside it stretched an ancient banyan tree, its roots embraced the earth like weathered hands. A small pond rested nearby, which was full only during the monsoons. On two sides of the temple, narrow lanes were lined with tiny shops overflowing with offerings for worship;flowers, coconuts, sweets, incense, vermilion, and colourful prayer items. Bright red cloths were folded into neat stacks that spilled onto the street. Beyond them were shops selling brass utensils and artificial jewellery, their glass stones caught the afternoon sun and scattered tiny flashes of light like mirrors. B...