Balinese Offerings | Balinese Hindu offerings for whom? - Bali Travel Guide

Balinese Offerings – Balinese Hindu offerings for whom? Hindu rituals in Bali use a lot of flowers and fruit. Also known as Canang sari and Banten. Maybe many of you ask why use flowers and for whom?

1. Offering to God

Balinese Hinduism teaches that the easiest way to worship God is by offering flowers, fruit and water. According the Vedic scriptures, which mention:

Anyone who prostrate with sincere offerings of leaves, flowers, fruit and water to Me, then I will accept the offering.

If you ask, whether the Hindu God eats fruit or flowers, no one knows. Maybe we can give a little logic picture. A child makes handicrafts with soil, then he gives them to his father.

The question is, did the father use it? of course not, but his father must have felt happy because it was a form of affection for him.

2. Offerings for Ourself

Basically, religious rituals are human ways to achieve inner satisfaction. Make him feel comfortable and happy. When humans have idealism, they will dedicate themselves to that idealism. Included in the idealism of God.

Humans need a way to show love and devotion to God, so to do so requires a worship. In addition to inner satisfaction, because the fruit that has been fired can we eat later.

3. Offering to the community

By using flowers and fruit, agricultural products are sold, farmers become more prosperous. Similarly, for distributors or makers of canang and Banten.

As rich as the Balinese, they definitely need agricultural products for religious ceremonies, need craftsmen canang and Banten. So that the velocity of money between the rich and the poor becomes smooth and the economy becomes better.

4. Offerings for nature

Because the banten material is taken from farmers, they must maintain the environment for planting flowers and fruit. Surely nature will remain green which will help the living insects from plants, help more photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Important Places to put offerings

In addition to the above objectives, the Balinese also make offerings in several places with the aim, as follows. In some important places, Balinese never forget to put offerings. The main thing is the temple.

Canang is placed for worship purposes, placed on high altars, to honor the gods and spirits of the ancestors. Whereas canang will be put down for evil spirits and usually contains raw meat.

Canang is also placed in front of a shop or place of business. This is meant by the belief that gods and spirits, protect the store from bad things and so that the store will be visited by many visitors.

Large trees and highways are also important places. The Balinese believe that there are spirits that occupy large trees. The offerings are also placed on the side of the road and intersection. The offerings are intended to respect the spirit of the watchman of the place and to avoid things that are not desirable.

Vehicles and homes are also important places. Canang is placed to smooth the journey and get safety. While at home, usually canang will be placed in front of the house and in some parts of the house, such as in the kitchen.

The goal, is to give thanks for the blessings of good food and drinks that have been received.The Conclusion is flower offerings and canang are all to please God, for oneself (health), for others (economy) and for the preservation of nature.