the pura desa (village temple), also called the pura agung, which is located in the village center and created to appease spirits that protect the villagers; the pura puseh (temple of origin), positioned in the direction of kaja, which is closest to the mountains and home of the gods, and dedicated to Brahma, Creator of the Universe; and the pura dalem (temple of the dead), situated in kelod, nearest to the sea where demons live, and used for cremations. Nine of these temples are sacred enough to be revered by all Balinese Hindus, not just local villagers, among them Pura Besakih, Pura Goa Lawah and Pura Luhur Ulu Watu. Others are also particularly valued because of their dedication to specific spirits, historical importance or nomination as official state temples.
Temples are typically fronted by a candi bentar (split gate) which leads to one or two outer courtyards with several bale (open-air pavilions) for resting, cooking and preparing for ceremonies, as well as a kul-kul tower with a drum used to announce events. Through another ceremonial gate is the sacred inner courtyard with small shrines dedicated to village elders and lesser gods, and several tall meru shrines, shaped like pagodas, with thatched roofs of an odd number up to eleven, depending on which deity and mountain the meru is dedicated to. Given the Balinese passion for, and skill in, carving and painting, temples are ornately decorated, with every chiseled gate and sculptured roof carrying meaning and purpose.
Each of the temples in every village is celebrated on the anniversary of its founding (odalan), usually according to the wuku Balinese calendar, which is shorter at 210 days. On holy days also, such as the major Galungan and Kuningan festivals, and for personal rituals, particularly cremations, families visit every temple they’re associated with, thus attending ceremonies takes up a significant proportion of their time and income.
For each ceremony, temples are decorated with colorful batik and shrines are wrapped in yellow and white cloths, while enormous offerings are made to satisfy the spirits who then grant happiness and health to the families. Ceremonies last all day, often several days, and involve much eating, ritualized dancing and, of course, worshipping, praying and reflecting under the guidance and blessing of the pedanda (high priest) or pemangku (temple priest).
Special holy men are called upon to perform sacred rituals in family compounds, such as when a child’s teeth are filed.
Fingers and palms are always firmly clasped together when praying, and hands are briefly raised above the head during moments of particularly deep spiritual connection.
The temple or high priest performs a spiritual purification of the household and is always seated on a platform raised above the level of the worshippers.
Tourists often stumble across ceremonies while traveling about or even sitting on a beach in Kuta. Otherwise, visit a major temple (particularly during full moon), look for signs stating hati-hati ada upacara agama (“be careful, there’s a religious ceremony”), or ask locals. The best temples to visit for their setting and piety are Pura Besakih, the vast sacred ‘Mother Temple’; Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, nestled along- side a crater lake at Candikuning; Pura Tanah Lot, perched on an islet surrounded by other cliffside temples; Pura Pasaran Agung, along the isolated slopes of Bali’s highest peak; and Pura Taman Ayun in Mengwi, surrounded by a moat. But don’t forget that temples are not tourist attrac-tions, they are sacred buildings sometimes permanently closed to non-Hindus. And please don’t begrudge payment of entrance fees that help offset the enormous cost of maintaining temples and holding ceremonies.
The size and height of these banten tegeh offerings, which are layered with fruit, cakes and flowers, depend on the importance of the occasion.
During the Nyepi New Year festival, huge effigies are carried through the streets before being burned during elaborate ceremonies.
There are strict rules about where and how men and women pray, but while waiting for ceremonies to begin, friends and families can mingle and relax, especially after carrying the huge banten tegeh offerings.
Other Religions on Bali
The dominant minor religion on Bali is Islam. Muslims are descendants of Javanese who ruled and then fled to Bali from the 14th century, or are more recent job-seekers from across the world’s most populous Islamic nation. Sizable Muslim communities are located in the west, close to Java, and at Candikuning, while seafaring Buginese from Sulawesi and elsewhere across the archipelago have settled in Jimbaran and along the northern coast. Buddhism thrived on Bali during the 8th and 9th centuries and is still a dominant element of local Hindu rituals and philosophies, but the only evidence of Buddhist veneration these days is the monastery at Banjar, near Lovina. Christians in Denpasar are mostly descendants of Chinese settlers, while some expatriates worship at the elegant Protestant St Mikael’s Church at Seminyak. In the far west, two remarkable villages are successful examples of missionary zeal: Belimbing Sari is home to a large Protestant community where the church features a kul-kul drum, used at Hindu temples to make announcements, instead of church bells; and, five kilometers away, Palasari boasts a massive Catholic church with spires resembling pagoda-style meru shrines, also found in Hindu temples. The most admirable example of religious harmony on Bali, if not Indonesia, is at Benoa village on the northern end of Tanjung Benoa, where a Chinese temple, mosque and Hindu temple coexist peacefully.
The Bajra Sandhi monument in Denpasar, Bali, contains 33 dioramas depicting the people’s journey over the years of the island’s illustrious history.
Some Western residents and Balinese of Chinese background are Christians and worship in a handful of churches spread across the island.
Artful Offerings to the Gods
An integral element of the Hindu religion and, therefore, Balinese way of life, are offerings (banten) to the gods. Typically, a family may spend half their income and vast amounts of time assembling gifts to thank the favorable gods and entice them to join in the ceremonies, or to appease the demons in order to maintain universal harmony and good fortune for the family. The most common offerings are the canang (sari) trays made from coconut leaves and attractively packed with rice, morsels of food and flowers, which represent Shiva, the Destroyer of the Universe. Every day, canang are placed with burning incense, signifying Brahma, the Creator, at household and temple shrines and in front of shops, offices and homes, and then sprinkled with Holy Water symbolizing Vishnu, the Protector. Generations of women spend days before religious festivals creating huge numbers of diverse offerings, including the exquisite meter-high pyramids called banten tegeh that burst with flowers, rice cakes and fruit. Men happily involve themselves in cockfighting to offer blood to the demons, and help craft the penjor that decorate village streets during major festivals, particularly Galungan. Under these arched bamboo poles, a colorful lamak mat is placed. A symbolic sampian, shaped like a canang, dangles from the tip.
Laid every day along streets outside homes, shops and offices, canang offerings are made from coconut palm
