Lay Followers
The Spirit of Worship
पूजा का भाव · પૂજાનો ભાવ
A great festival, a famous donor, and an old man with a handful of rice
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
When a new temple is consecrated in a small Rajasthan town, a wealthy man from Mumbai wins the honour of the first abhishek. Ten year old Nikita keeps noticing someone else, an old tailor nobody seems to see.
What it teaches Bhav Humility Devotion
The opening of the children's telling
In a small town, people built a beautiful new white temple. There was a big festival with drums and music. A rich man named Rameshbhai gave a lot of money, so he was chosen to pour the very first water over Bhagwan's image.
A little girl named Nikita saw someone else. Every morning, very early, an old man named Motichand kaka came to the temple. He swept the steps gently, so he would not hurt any tiny creatures. Then he made a little swastik shape with rice, bowed for a long time, and went home quietly.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
The size of an offering is seen by people; the feeling behind it is what truly counts.
To talk about together
Why do you think Rameshbhai asked Motichand kaka to pour the first water with him?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.