Marilo Marb
"Island of the Gods"
The first time I saw the importance of making daily offerings to the Balinese gods was when the driver who picked me up at the airport opened a bottle soda and poured a bit over the ground. I saw this gesture several times, and I asked him why he did that. He said it was for the gods. These offerings are part of the daily routine in Bali, the loacls fill their baskets with flowers, fruits, water, and incense and leave them near the doors of houses, small temples devoted to the god, and even at doors of business or shops. These offerings are to show respect to the gods, ask them for luck, and for protection from evil.
Most offerings are made by women at home and some are true works of art. They're highly decorated, colorful, and often made with coconut or banana leaves. The placement ritual goes like this: they put a little rice at the bottom and cover it with a banana leaf and then place fruit (which can be anything really, but bananas are almost always present), rice cakes, and incense. The final touch is to spritz it with water and then all the elements of mother nature are represented. It's nice, this timeless ritual on the "Island of the Gods."
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