On the eighth day of the Durga Puja or "Durgashtami" an Ashtami Puja takes place where Goddess Durga is offered a garland of 108 Lotus Flowers. It is said that while Lord Rama was performing the rituals of "Akalbodhan", before going for the war, he wanted to offer 108 Lotus Flowers to the deity. While beginning the rituals he found that one of these beautiful flowers were missing. Since his own eyes were very beautiful and people addressed him as "komallochan" (eyes like that of lotus flower) he decided to offer one of his eyes. Seeing this devotion of his the lord himself magically got back the missing flower. Eversince then the garland is offered to Ma Durga.
Lotus Flowers have a strong symbolic tie to many Asian religions, especially throughout India. The Lotus flower starts at the bottom of the pond in the mud & muck and further on coming out of the pond blossoms into a beautiful flower. Within Hinduism & Buddhism, the lotus flower has become a symbol for awakening to the spiritual reality of life. People believe that the symbol of a lotus flower represents life in general. The struggle of life at its most basic form. As the Lotus Flower grows up from the mud into an object of beauty , people also grow & change into something more beautiful with time.
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