BALINESE HINDU OFFERING

Balinese Hindu Offering is a ritual offering process performed on the island of Bali in accordance with Hindu religious beliefs. As you may know, Hindus in Bali are descended from Hindus in India. However, Hindus in Bali adapted to local customs prior to the arrival of Hinduism, so there are many differences in the process of religious ceremonies found in Balinese Hindus and Hindus in India. One of them is the process of offering to the Almighty, which is manifested by various types of offerings according to the people’s customs and traditions, in general, daily offerings such as Segehan and Canang Sari, which we frequently see on the street, in front of houses, or in front of shops. It is a type of offering made in thanksgiving to God for his many blessings, including life, safety, health, and prosperity. A procession brings offerings to God Almighty in thanksgiving for the gift of life and salvation.

A PROCESS OF RESPECTING GOD WHICH IS SYMBOLIZED BY OFFERINGS SUCH AS FRUIT AND FLOWERS

What Does a Balinese Hindu Offer?

Balinese Hindu Offering is a form of respect or gratitude to Ida Sang Hyang Widi Wasa as God Almighty who has given life, safety, health, and others, which is symbolized by Banten (Sesajen), while this offering consists of many types, so the name Banten covers a very broad range. The banten that is frequently served on a daily basis is known as Banten Segehan or Banten Canang Sari. Balinese Hindu Offering comes in a variety of forms and facilities, depending on the purpose of the offering and the request of the ceremony. We usually make Canang Sari offerings on a daily basis, which are offerings made of coconut leaves shaped into squares, triangles, or rounds and filled with flowers of various colors such as red, white, and yellow, which symbolize the Hindu Bali Tridharma, namely Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva. The flowers in this canang sari represent sincerity and purity, and there is also potpourri, namely pandan leaves in the color Green that are sliced into small pieces and placed in the canang sari, emitting a fragrant aroma that is a symbol of wisdom. In addition, the canang sari contains sliced sugar cane, bananas, and small Balinese snacks, and some contain sweets. When you visit Bali, you will notice that in front of every house or shop is a canang sari, which is a symbol of gratitude to God Almighty.

Banten refers to Balinese Hindu offerings.

Banten is one of the Hindu offerings that includes fruits and flowers as well as animals such as pigs, chickens, geese, and others. Banten combines fine arts and make-up to create the form of the offering, which is an expression of the people’s gratitude to the creator. The use of art in the creation of offerings will lead the mind to inner beauty, inner peace, and self-satisfaction. This peace of mind is essential for achieving concentration of thought when praying before God Almighty, so the art factor plays an important role in moving towards a positive religion as a supporting element for the ceremony’s implementation. Banten has various forms of art and appreciation in making offerings and is made up of three very important elements, which are as follows:

• Mataya: It is one of the offerings made of plants and plant materials such as leaves, flowers, and fruit. This type of offering is most commonly encountered in everyday life, such as on the street, in front of people’s homes, local people’s temples, and in front of shops, where it is appreciated in the form of canang sari offerings, segehan offerings, and sodaan offerings.
• Maharya: Is one of the animal offerings, including pigs, goats, buffalo, and cows. Animals are used as a complementary means in a very important ceremony, and we see this when there are important events such as mecaru, ngusaba, and other Hindu religious practices.
• Mantiga: Is one of the offerings made from animals hatched from eggs, such as chickens, ducks, geese, chicken eggs, and others. This bird is also used as a supplement to one of the major religious ceremonies, which we often see when there is a piodalan ceremony at the local temple, Galungan and Kuningan holidays, and other holidays.

Daily Hindu Balinese Offerings

In terms of the Hindu religion in Bali, there are various types of offerings depending on the purpose of the offerings as well as the customs and culture where the offerings take place. Furthermore, the form of offering is inextricably linked to the profession of the local community, such as farmers who make offerings to Dewi Sri Sedana, the Goddess of Fertility, by offering agricultural products such as rice and fruits, as opposed to traders who make offerings in the form of canang sari with fruits to invoke the blessing of the Goddess of Rambut Sedana, the God of Prosperity. The form of the offering varies depending on the purpose of the offering. As for whether the daily offerings are performed in the same manner, namely by making Canang Sari offerings. Every day, Hindus in Bali make several Banten offerings to ask for safety, health, and prosperity in their lives.

• Segehan: Segehan is an offering made to Bhutakala in order to keep evil spirits from disturbing and confusing our minds. Segehan is expected to neutralize and eliminate these negative influences with this. Segehan is also a symbol of the harmonious relationship that exists between humans and all of God’s creations, including those we cannot see. Every day, Segehan is served. Typically, we see this segehan on the road in front of a shop or a house. This segehan is also determined by the level and day of the ceremony; for example, on normal days, it only serves Segehan Kepel Putih, which are leaves filled with a pinch of rice and placed in front of the yard or shop; on special days, such as the full moon, the rice is colored white, yellow, red, and brumbun (mixed colors), which is known as segehan manca color.
• Canang Sari: Is a daily offering made to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, the creator of humans, as a form of gratitude for having been given life, safety, prosperity, and happiness. This gratitude is symbolized by presenting a canang sari in the form of a flower placed in Coconut leaves that are shaped in a square, triangular, or round shape. You may often see this canang sari in front of houses, streets, temples This is a sacred sacrifice made to God, the creator of man. Canang is derived from the word “Can,” which means “beautiful,” “Nang,” which means “purpose or intent” (in Kawi / Old Javanese language), and Sari, which means “core or source.” Thus, Canang Sari means to invoke Widya’s strength in front of Sang Hyang Widhi and His Prabhawa (manifestation) on both the world and subtle spirit realms.
• Pejati: Is an offering made on a special occasion or as part of a religious ceremony that requires the offering of Pejati. The Pejati are a comprehensive group of offerings that include canang sari, fruit, diamonds, and other items. Whereas Pejati is a full offering presented to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa to express sincerity in carrying out a ceremony and asking to be witnessed for the purpose of salvation, Pejati’s offering is the main offering that is always used in religious ceremonies. This Pejati is only performed on special days or special days, and it is not performed every day; it is only required in religious ceremonies because it is a complete offering to be presented before God Almighty.

The Great Ceremony’s Offerings

The difference between the offerings made on big days and the offerings made every day is the completeness of the offerings made, because on big days it is believed that gods come down to the world and reside in temples where there are ceremonies, and on the day of the ceremony we make complete offerings. as a form of thanksgiving to God for providing life, prosperity, and health As a result, if it is a major holiday, such as Galungan or Kuningan, you will see many Hindus going to the temple to pray, with some bringing offerings that may differ from the offerings you see every day. The following are the main services provided:

• Banten Sodaan: Is a complete offering in the form of a holy daksina containing fruits and canang sari that is addressed to the ancestors and is usually placed in every temple in the house; if there are many temples at home, it takes a lot of sodaan to make and place in each temple. If you visit Bali during a major holiday, you will notice this soda offering at every temple. This Sodaan is only available on major ceremonial days such as Galungan, Kuningan, and Pagerwesi, as well as other significant occasions. Furthermore, soda is served when praying at large temples such as Besakih, Lempuyang, Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, and others.
• Banten Gebogan: It is an offering that we may see on the day of a large religious ceremony in the form of fruits placed in a container that upholds the dignity, while the height of this gebogan varies from 50 cm to 100 cm high, this depends on taste; however, the height of this gebogan is not required. If you visit Bali during the major holidays, you will see women carrying gebogan on their heads to the temple, which is a very beautiful sight. Gebogan is typically offered during religious ceremonies at temples, as well as on holidays such as Galungan and Kuningan, as well as other religious days that are part of Bali’s major Hindu holidays.
• Babi Guling: Also known as Suckling Pig, babi guling is an offering in the form of offerings or ceremonial means that is a symbol of fertility and prosperity, and babi guling is frequently required as one of the complementary means of the ceremony in the course of certain ceremonies. The use of the babi guling offering is determined by the level of the ceremony; there are religious ceremonies that do not require the babi guling and may substitute other offerings such as grilled chicken or eggs.

What Are Balinese Hindu Offerings Used For?

This offering’s purpose is also very beneficial to the lives of those around us. Offerings of fruit and flowers are used in a Hindu ceremony on the island of Bali, and these offerings are known as Banten and Canang. If you visit the island of Bali and walk around the city, you will notice offerings in front of shops, in front of houses, and small shrines in front of houses. These are offerings by Hindus in Bali, and the types of offerings have different functions depending on their purpose. The following are the positive goals of making offerings that are also very beneficial to the local community and the environment.

• For God: According to Hindu teachings in Bali, one way to worship God is to offer fruits and flowers. This is stated in the sacred Bhagavadgita, Chapter IX, verse 26: “Anyone who with obeisance offers to Me leaves, flowers, fruits, or water, offerings based on love and coming from the bottom of a pure heart, I accept.”
• Offerings can also be made for yourself, as one of the religious rituals is to achieve inner satisfaction. When humans have ideals, they will devote themselves to divinity by showing love and devotion to God, so doing this worship and offerings as a form of self-satisfaction will make your day full of happiness in this life.
• For the General Public: Because the ingredients for the offering are fruit and flowers, this offering helps to develop agricultural and plantation products because fruit and flower materials are required as one of the means in making offerings that help agricultural products sell well and prosper people.
• For the Environment: The ingredients from banten and canang are very beneficial to farmers and plantation owners, who indirectly keep the land fertile and preserved by feeding insects that eat fruit and flower juices, allowing more photosynthesis to occur, which converts carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Banten is a Harmony Symbol.

Banten, or Offerings, are a type of offering that represents Hindus’ gratitude to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa as God Almighty and his manifestations for providing life, grace, and all protection to this universe, ensuring harmony and balance in nature. Furthermore, offerings can help to balance the universe, which here refers to the natural world, with the unseen realm inhabited by bhuta kala (spirits), so that life in the natural world is not disrupted. Because this world is based on the philosophy of cause and effect, which can be described as a balance of good and bad, black and white. The offerings are intended to balance this cause and effect philosophy, allowing us to live a more harmonious life. A Balinese Hindu offering procession that is very interesting to see, and this type of procession of offerings only exists on the island of Bali, which is mostly inhabited by Hindus.