AllMovie

The Offering is a film that deals with the transformation of India into an industrial nation. The central character, the village oracle, stands as a symbol of the village's feudal past, and his fate is the same as that of this tradition. Entirely dependent on the village for support, the oracle and his family live in dire poverty waiting for the day when the village will become faithful again. The oracle's son, Appu, is an inveterate gambler and tries to sell his father's ritualistic instruments, including a sacred sword, to pay his debts. His father catches him just in time and forces his son to leave the village. A mysterious disease overtakes the village and a huge ceremony is planned at the temple to plead with the neglected gods. It's the moment the oracle has waited for. He runs home to fetch his instruments only to find that his wife has sold herself to pay their debts. Driven to the brink of insanity by misfortune, the oracle rushes to the temple and commits suicide in front of the assembled crowd.