Adapting with respect

Tradition itself allows substitutes. If an item is missing, akṣata (rice) or a flower can stand in, and a mental offering (mānasa pūjā) is honoured in many texts. In an apartment, a lamp may replace an open fire; abroad, a local flower is as good as a lotus.

Keep the core — cleanliness, intention, the sequence of welcome, offering and farewell — and adapt the rest without guilt.

Karmakāṇḍa — the ritual way · Ask a Jyotishi your own question