Bali definitely has the picture perfect beaches, lush tropical backdrops, and loads of beautiful beach goers, but behind the wall-to-wall bars and shops you can still see the unique Hindu culture permeating through. And permeate it does, the culture is deep with traditional ceremonies including the daily offerings that are placed in particular places around each home or business seeking to placate the gods and ward off bad luck or expel bad spirits. The offerings range from a simply piece of banana leave with some food, or more typical they include several items, rice, tobacco, coffee beans, and burning incense all arranged in a particular fashion in a straw or banana leave type of tray that you see so many people preparing each evening. The food is offered to the bad spirit so that they will be well feed and therefore content.
Back in
Kuta we rented our car from "Gusti Rentals" I have a feeling this was his personal car as it was a bit of a junker, complete with surf stickers on the back and a
tempermental battery that required some coaxing to start up each time. After we sign the contract, Gusti performed a small ceremony on the car and left this offering in hopes that we would have good luck and safe journeys.
As one shopkeeper told us, Bali's traditions are not so much based on the strict Hindu religion, but more about ceremonies seeking good luck...good luck for a bountiful rice crop, for a happy marriage, for a safe journey, for a good day. Here is a collection of offerings carefully placed on the sidewalk in Ubud. As you walk through town you had to watch everystep, first so as not to trip on the uneven sidewalks riddled with gaping holes, second so you did not step on someone's offering.
One of the most sacred religious ceremonies in Bali was about to begin. Galungan occurs every 210 days and is celebrated by all Balinese at the same time. Every house will be decorated with a
Penjor, tall decorated bamboo stakes, which we have started to see coming into town on
motorscooters. They are placed along the street where they can be bent into shape and decorated. We are told that on the first day of
Galungan which is March 18 all the shops are closed and everyone stays home, including the tourists who apparently will be asked by their guesthouse hosts to stay within the grounds and not roam the cities. It would have been a great experience to witness but unfortunately by that time we will be
enroute to Los Angeles.
Bali definitely has the picture perfect beaches, lush tropical backdrops, and loads of beautiful beach goers, but behind the wall-to-wall bars and shops you can still see the unique Hindu culture permeating through. And permeate it does, the culture is deep with traditional ceremonies including the daily offerings that are placed in particular places around each home or business seeking to placate the gods and ward off bad luck or expel bad spirits. The offerings range from a simply piece of banana leave with some food, or more typical they include several items, rice, tobacco, coffee beans, and burning incense all arranged in a particular fashion in a straw or banana leave type of tray that you see so many people preparing each evening. The food is offered to the bad spirit so that they will be well feed and therefore content.
Back in Kuta we rented our car from "Gusti Rentals" I have a feeling this was his personal car as it was a bit of a junker, complete with surf stickers on the back and a tempermental battery that required some coaxing to start up each time. After we sign the contract, Gusti performed a small ceremony on the car and left this offering in hopes that we would have good luck and safe journeys.
As one shopkeeper told us, Bali's traditions are not so much based on the strict Hindu religion, but more about ceremonies seeking good luck...good luck for a bountiful rice crop, for a happy marriage, for a safe journey, for a good day. Here is a collection of offerings carefully placed on the sidewalk in Ubud. As you walk through town you had to watch everystep, first so as not to trip on the uneven sidewalks riddled with gaping holes, second so you did not step on someone's offering.
One of the most sacred religious ceremonies in Bali was about to begin. Galungan occurs every 210 days and is celebrated by all Balinese at the same time. Every house will be decorated with a Penjor, tall decorated bamboo stakes, which we have started to see coming into town on motorscooters. They are placed along the street where they can be bent into shape and decorated. We are told that on the first day of Galungan which is March 18 all the shops are closed and everyone stays home, including the tourists who apparently will be asked by their guesthouse hosts to stay within the grounds and not roam the cities. It would have been a great experience to witness but unfortunately by that time we will be enroute to Los Angeles.
