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| Canang is a media for offering |
The serenity are kept well in Bali as the Balinese sacred beliefs and lives. Many of Bali's cultural traditions are based on its unique religion, a mix of animist origins later colored by Hindu Traditions.
Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu are all recognized and whorshipped, but this deities are believes as Sang Hyang Widhi (God) manifestation as Its function. Spirits are everpresent amid the main themes of belief, good deities guardian over the mountains and temples while evil ghosts, such as the mischievous leyak, lurk along deserted beaches and in night shadows. Each morning, the village women will places gift of flowers, food bits and incense along the small home shrines and small village temples, as the gratitude to the God of what they receipt for the day. (foods, water, lifes, health, etc).
In fact, life in Bali is interwoven with religious belief, which account for much of the simple grace and acceptance of life on the island. Temples, called Pura, are in every corner of the home, the hills, the village, the ricefields and the shores, wheter small stone shrines in a shady sacred banyan tree grove or the delicated sculpted remains of the ancient mountainside-worship site. The holiest temple are turn in the direction of kaja (North) "toward the mountains," the abode of the Gods; one such site is Besakih, the mother temple facing the slopes of Gunung Agung (Agung Mountain). Kangin (East), "toward the sunrise," is the direction toward wich secondary temple face, while the evil spirits are recognised Kelod (South) in the "direction of the sea."
Kaja kangin (North East), where the mountain and the sunrise met, is the corner which almost all Balinese home have temple, with separate areas for offerings to Hindu and animist deities. However it could be also depend on the each village commons. Each family will pray here daily while prayers for the clan are said at the clan temple such as Pura Desa (prayers for the village), Pura Puseh (Prayers for the village founders), and Pura Dalem (prayers to keep the village balance from the evil spirits).
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| Temple Entrance |
Temples are design vary as much as their sizes, but they are similarities in structure as well. The Candi Bentar is the tall narow gates, sculptured stone gateaway, a dual image intricately carved and split down the center, followed by Kori Agung or Paduraksa, the gateaway to the inner courtyard. This is guarded from the evil spirits by menacing statues of Raksa, or Dwarpala, or a Bhoma with its outstretched hands, as well as the traditional aling-aling privacy wall.
The Kulkul tower (Bale Kulkul) is the place from which intonations of the kulkul (wooden drum) call the village to attention or warning, while various gambelan instruments may reverberate from one of the oven bale pavilions. Around the courtyard, there are many small shrines, or gedongs, for offerings, including the Bale piasan, an open pavilion for theit display. Meru, the round or square multi tiered roofs of Balines shrines are also present; those with three levels are for worshipping Gunung Agung, while those with 11 tiers are built to honor Ida Sang Hyang Widhi (God).
Temple festival usually held in every 6 months or 1 year, its depends on the traditional Balinese time calculations. The fun usually begins with a procession from village to temple. Ornately dressed women with large, decoratively tiered towers of fruits, flowers and rice (Gebogan) atop their heads, a ragged line of gambelan musician (balaganjur) groups of graceful dancers and bands of children straggling in laughter behind them.
With these all traditions and sacrifices, Balinese believes the serenity will be always there and away from disaster. The Hindu's philosophy called Tri Hita Karana (Three most important relationship) to keep the live balance are strongly hold by them. Those three most important relationship (Tri Hita Karana) that the Balinese keep well are;
- Relationship between human with human,
- Relationship between human with the environment
- Relationship between human and God
Source: Adventuring In Indonesia by: Holly S. Smith
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