Bali Peetam- Pedestal of sacrificial offerings

Bali Peetam:

Bali means sacrificing an animal and offering it to god. Bali peetam is a place where we offer the slaughtered animals to the deity .Bali symbolizes the destruction. Usually, we don’t kill animals in a temple but a research into our scriptures and by interacting with people gave the reason why we do this bali in temple and specially there is a place for this offering which is called bali peetam. now a days, devotees are offering rice and certain dishes to God on this sacrificial pedestrail as the custom continued.
 

Place of this sacrifical pedestrail

Every temple will have a seat of offerings which is placed in between flag pole (dwajastambam) and royal temple tower(Raja Gopuram) . After all the worship is finished, finally the offerings to god will be placed here.

Cultural Beliefs:

When we enter into a temple, first sight will be flag pole and second sight will be sacrificial pedestrail in front of dieties.All the preists will offer rice after performing worship. According Agama Vidhi Sastra this process id followed. Devotees leaving their ego and ill feelings, enter with a pure mind leaving all their bad thoughts offer at the Sacrificial pedestrail .They Completely surrender themselves to the Almighty with their minds filled of Lord’s pure thoughts. Sacrificial pedestrail is the symbol of dharma where priests offer food and devotees pray with humility and true devotion.

Sacrificial pedestrail is mainly for the Kshtrapalakas(Gaurding dieties of main god)protecting the temple. The offerings at the Sacrificial pedestrail is not for the main deities in the temple. For example, we do have Nandi or nandikeswar(Ox god) in shiva temple and we offer the food Sacrificial pedestrail to nandi but not to Lord Shiva.

Usually Sacrificial pedestrail will have lotus or foot prints sculptures of the diety. usually devotees offer red colored rice or food red in color. for example, At the time of dasara on the 9th day , we have a fest called kumba where we offer blood rice(vermillion powder mixed with rice treated as blood rice) to goddess.

Scientific reason:

Every human has got six qualities namely Kama(Lust),Krodha(Anger),Lobha(selfishness),Moha(love),Madha(Prestige),Matsarya and because of this qualities humans behave like animals. As mind is polluted because of these things, the entry to the temple is forbidden in order to cultivate an open mind reducing all these six qualities the temple authorities had taken major responsibility to preserve the sanctity of the temple by harming another creation of god like plants or animals and so they introduced this Sacrificial pedestrail in temples by enlightening devotees and asked them to refrain the animal sacrifice practices.