Plants and their uses within Caribbean Shaktism

Plants are essential in Caribbean Shaktism, we use them as offerings and medicine. We can use them fresh for offerings, or dried for havans, and I feel like they show the true animistic origins of Hinduism. In Caribbean Shaktism, plants are not merely passive decorations—they are sacred presences, often treated as living embodiments of divine energies. This understanding echoes the animistic heart of early Hinduism, where every tree, flower, and leaf held a spirit and a voice, and was often associated with specific deities, planets, or powers.

Many of the most important ritual plants are drawn from Tamil, Telugu, and North Indian traditions, but have been syncretized with local Caribbean healing and spiritual systems. Plants are used in three main ways: as offerings, in medicinal and spiritual baths, and in fire rituals (havan or homa)—whether burned fresh, dried, powdered, or bundled into sacred mixes. Some plants we use: Madar flowers- Used in Shiva worship

Turmeric- Root is dried and powdered for worship. Leafs are used in some pujas. Dried whole root may be added to Kalasam. The powder is also put into the manjal tanni.

Sandalwood- Wood is powdered for worship. Bark and wood is used as an offering in Hawans.

Lobani- Resin is used an incense as an offering as well as to purify.

Gugul- Resin is used an incense, like Lobani

Sugarcane- The a young stalk itself is sometimes given to Kanchi Kamakshi. Juice and flesh is used as an offering to Shiva. Sugarcane is used as a balidaan (non-animal sacrifice) fruit.

Coconuts- Used in various ways. Juice is used as an offering for Theertam/Abhishegam . Coconut fruit is used as prasad, as a topper for a Kalasam, as a balidaan (most common balidaan fruit), and the husk may be used as hawan wood.

Durva grass- Used in worship for Ganesh and Lakshmi as an offering, and often, four durva grass stocks are put around the hawan and are offered into the fire as a last offering (Purnahurti).

Neem- Used in devi worship, in the making of manjal tanni (water mixed with turmeric powder, neem flowers, and neem leaves.)

Goosberry- Dried gooseberries soaked in water and grinded into a paste is used as a fruit of Abhishegam for Mari Amman.

Areca- The palm leaf may be used as decoration, but the nut is called Supari and is used in pujas as an offering (Tambulam). It is often a substitute for money in an offering.

Betel- The leaf is used in pujas as an offering, as a substitute for mango leaves in a kalasam, and the stems are used inside of the Kalasam. In a havan, the last offering is put into the Betel leaf (or cotton), and is put in the fire. Garlands made of betel leaves are also made to Hanuman, or 108 paan leaves being offered to him.

Mango- Used as a spoon for sprinkling water, used as decoration, and five mango leaves are always put on the Kalasam. Wood is used as Hawan wood. Fruit is used as an offering, and the juice is used as a Abhishekam liquid.

Cotton- Used as a substitute for a clothing offering or as a substitute for a Betel leaf in Havans.

Kush grass- Used as a substitute for durva grass. The plant is planted during Pitra Paksha and offerings are given to it.

Castor plant- Used in the holika, which is the bonfire made during Phagwa. It is planted on Vasant panchami (40 days before Phagwa), and then used in the holika. Some also just get the stems and leaves of the plant instead of planting it.

Camphor- The resin is lit and used in Aarti. It is also the main component used for invoking sakthi, and is used in Oathtaking (which is where an entranced devotee called a Marlo pujari puts a lit camphor on their tongue three or more times to prove the energy/sakthi is within their body and as a way to purify their mouth before they speak on behalf of Amman.)

Sesame- The seeds are added into the havan samagri paste. When doing Vishnu puja, people mix sesame seeds with rice grains, and Saraswati loves a prasadam made from sesame candy. The sesame seeds are also used in the pinda when given to offerings. The oil is used to do abhishekham of Kal Bhairo or to light diyas.

Cloves- Three cloves are pierced into the lapsi and sohari when offering it to devi. Nine cloves are used when making the dhaar, or nectar, to offer to devi as a libation or abhishekham liquid. Cloves are often put on paan leaves and given during the thambulam step of the Shodashopachara Puja. Nine cloves are put on nine paan leaves for Parameshwari and Kateriamman Puja. Cloves are put into the hawan samagri often as well.

Nutmeg- Nutmegs, aka Jaifar, are often used to do “balidaan” or the symbolic sacrifice of fruits when doing Devi puja. A nutmeg is added onto a paan leaf when doing the thambulam offerings, and one nutmeg is added into the havan samagri.

Jasmine- Jasmine oil is used in pujas for Hanuman by mixing it with his orange sindoor and applying to different areas of his body. The garlands can be offered to any deity, and the jasmine perfume as well.

Tulsi- This plant is sacred to the Narayana Paridevathas, aka the deities who have ties to Vishnu (such as Ram, Krishna, Hanuman, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Surya, Aghori Baba, etc.) and is always put on the thari for their offerings. The plant itself is seen as the living form of Mahalakshmi, so lighting a diya for a tulsi plant is considered sacred. Garlands can also be made from tulsi leaves for the narayana paridevathas.

Banana- Offerings are put onto banana leaves, and the fruits are used as offerings.

Rice- Rice, known as Akshat, are used as one of the offerings made during the Shodashopachara pujai. Rice grains are put into the havan samagri, and mixed with sesame seeds when making offerings for Vishnu. Rice is also put onto the paan leaves when making the thambulam offering. Rice is put under the pot used to make the two karagams, and rice flour is used in the making of dhaar. The grains are sometimes dyed and put into little patches when making offerings of flags (jhandi) for several deities.  Rice is essential, its used in almost everything.

Cinnamon- The bark is used in the havan samagri by some people.

Kalanchoe- The flowers from the kalanchoe plant are sometimes used in place of oleander flowers when building the karagam. Garlands from kalanchoe can also be offered to Hanuman.

Marigolds- These are the most common flowers given to the deities for offerings, and also made into garlands.

Hibiscus- Given to offerings for any fierce devi.

Lotus- A symbol of Lakshmi, offered to her during puja

Oleander flowers- A symbol of Amman, it is used in the making of the Karagams. It is Mariamman’s favorite flower

Cardamom- Used in the theerta-prasadam (drunken blessed food) and often put on a paan leaf and offered to the deity. It is also used in the hawan samagri. The pods are made into garlands and offered to Hanuman and Durga.

Peepal leaves- Used in Vishnu puja

Rudraksha- The seeds are made into beads and worn by Shiva/Shakti devotees, along with the leaves being used as offerings for Shiva

Navakastam- These are 9 woods used in the Navagraha pujas, in the Havans. Ark for Surya, Palash for Moon, Khadir for Mars, Peepal for Jupiter, Apamarga for Mercury, Audambar for Venus, Sami for Saturn, Durva for Rahu, Kusha for Ketu