Dakshinas

Dakshinas or right-hand form of worship among the Hindus, that is, when the worship of any goddess is performed in a public manner and agreeably to the Vedas or Puranas. The only ceremony which can be supposed to form an exception to the general character of this mode is the Bali, an offering of blood, in which rite a number of animals, usually kids, are annually decapitated. In some cases life is offered without shedding blood, when the more barbarous practice is adopted of pummelling the poor animal to death with the fists; at other times blood only is offered, without injury to life. Such practices are not considered orthodox,