Canang Sellers

Canang are offerings made from palm leaves with flowers, mixtures of betel and areca nuts, and other items. The sellers of these offerings can be found all around Denpasar City. There are greater numbers of sellers on the days that happen to fall on rerahinan days (the Balinese Hindu holidays) such as Purnama, Tilem, and Kajeng Kliwon days or on any other special holidays. These canang sellers are spread out in Badung, Kreneng, Satria, and Ubung markets and even along the street to Jagatnatha Temple, Denpasar. According to Bali Travel News reports, there are hundreds of canang sellers in Badung market. They sell canang in the market area and many of them sell them along Gajah Mada Street on the north side of the market, along Sulawesi Street in the east and up to the north side of the market.

According to Ni Nyoman Suarti from Gerana Village, about 15km to the north of Denpasar, she has been a canang seller for five years. Formerly she was a flower seller and she began to make canang to sell as it was difficult to sell all the flowers. “There were still fewer canang sellers at that time compared to the number of consumers. 1500 pieces of canang can be sold within 3 hours. Today, there are too many canang sellers whereas the consumers are getting fewer”, she said to Bali Travel News in Badung market recently.
She further explained that on ordinary days (the days that do not belong to rerahinan days), it could take until midnight to sell about 1500 pieces of canang, and it is possible that not all would be sold. However, the supply of about 1500 pieces of canang is considered inadequate if they are sold on the holidays like Purnama, Tilem, and Kajeng Kliwon. She must add a further supply of 2000 - 3000 pieces. “In the holidays, 50 pieces of canang are sold for about Rp. 6000,- - 7000,- and they can be sold out before sunset”, she said. When asked about the profit of selling canang, this sweet dark-skinned girl said proudly, “The takings are not sufficient for daily living. My parents are sick so I can not earn enough money”.
Bu Sri, another canang seller in Uma Anyar market, Sempidi said that selling canang is a way to find additional funds. The mother of two children from Perean Village, about 30 km from Denpasar further explained that she would continue to be a canang seller although her husband, who is a civil servant, could support their cost of living.
Meanwhile, according to Ni Made Resmini (31 years old), a canang seller from Buleleng who lives in Denpasar said that at first she sold canang in the market on Gunung Agung Street to pass the time. However, after a while she realised that her income depended on her selling the canang. For example, her earnings can be used to pay her child’s elementary school fees. “Today the consumers are getting fewer. Formerly my canang were often bought by hotel employees. Today, there are almost no demands from the hotel. This may be because of the bomb in Kuta”, she said.
Ni Made Sudarmini who lives in a housing complex in Denpasar has another story. She admitted that she does not make canang to be sold in any market. She makes canang based on the order. The mother of one child only serves her neighbor’s order and therefore, the number of canang she made are constant except in the rerahinan days where she will produce more canang to be sold.
Canang is a basic necessity for Balinese Hindu people, particularly for the people who live in towns and who do not have much time to make it themselves. It is ironic because canang is the basic offerings used for praying to God. As it is said by one of the hotel employees in Badung market, she needs 200 pieces of canang to be used at home everyday. “This number will increase to be about 300 - 500 pieces in the rerahinan days such as Purnama, Tilem, and Kajeng Kliwon”, she explained. (Budarsana)

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