Quickly upon arrival in Bali, you’ll start to notice small, woven bamboo containers filled with flowers, spices, incense, food, coins, and sometimes even cigarettes, all over the ground. These are laid out freshly every morning, and often again in the evenings.
These offerings are known as Canang Sari, and are part of a daily ritual for Balinese Hindus as a form of giving thanks for peace and harmony in the world, in hopes the protective spirits will continue providing. Rather than praying “up to” the gods, Canang Sari are meant to encourage/invite the Gods down to the island. The offerings are meant as a gesture of self-sacrifice, as they are personally prepared every day.
You see Canang Sari all over the island, but they are specifically located either near temples:
In front of homes, of nearby any areas of “potential conflict.” So, the sidewalks in front of shops and intersections typically have many:
One place we found in Ubud had many of the offerings stacked up each day:
We also found several in small shrines among rice paddies:
Most offerings are either found on the sidewalk or steps, but we found some nestled into convenient tree branches as well:
The name “Bali” actually translates to “offering,” and one of its nicknames is “the Island of The Gods” – both of these facts make a lot more sense upon a visit.
One final thing on Canang Sari – you should absolutely avoid disturbing them while the incense is burning; as this is what will carry the prayer/offering to the gods. However, once the incense has burned out, the offering can be swept away (and any food inside can be enjoyed by the island’s resident cats, dogs, monkeys, and birds).
One of the beautiful things about travel is the opportunity to experience and learn things about all the incredibly diverse cultures of the world – Canang Sari are a perfect example of this; something particularly unique to Balinese Hindus.
