An offering is made to buddha at Wat Si Chum in Sukhothai, Thailand. The act of offering is an act of dana – an act of generosity.  So it’s an emotional and physical expression of our reverence:

• To the Buddha himself – the Perfectly Enlightened One
• To the Dharma – the Truth – sometimes we place holy Sutras and Mantras on altars to pay our respects to the wisdom elucidated within those sacred teachings.
• To the Noble Enlightened Ones like the Bodhisattvas – like Gwan Yin Bodhisattva who is a symbol of Great Compassion