Religious needs and buying patterns create particular economic opportunities, and businesses adapt to fill these needs.  This Ukhimath shop sells "spices and puja necessities,"  in particular the marigold garlands used for worship or for honoring guests, which can be seen hanging on either side of the doorway.   The flowers in the plastic bags below may be sold loose, or may be waiting to be strung into more garlands.  Since the blossoms fade quickly, the owners cannot keep too big an invertory, and must anticipate their needs according to the demands of the ritual calendar.  

"Souvenirs" are an integral part of the economy at many religious places--in this case, Kedarnath in the Himalayas.  Kedarnath (11,700 feet high) is so remote and difficult to reach that most people go there once in a lifetime.  These small (4 x 6 inch) inexpensive pictures provide not only a memory of one's visit, but also the symbolic presence of the deity enshrined there.  One sign of this is that people often place such souvenirs in their household shrines.  

Hindus encounter the divine in many different contexts--whether traveling long distances to visit important temples and shrines, shorter distances for local shrines, or performing rites at home.   For These are all differing examples of the same theme, and many Hindus center their religious lives around home and family, and go to temples only for special needs or occasions.  This shows Bhai Duj ("Brother's Second"), a minor festival two days after Diwali that affirms the brother-sister bond (family members come home for Diwali, so everyone is there).  Sisters place a tilak on their brother's foreheads and feed them sweets--symbolically treating them  like deities--and the brothers give sisters gifts in return.  The whole ritual exchange took less than a minute to complete.