Ni Made Murtini : Selling Offerings

Ni Made Murtini from Banjar Kubu Alit, Kedonganan, Kuta is a professional seller of canang, the offerings most commonly seen over Bali. She is not only active in selling these offerings, but she is also a skilled producer of canang and banten sesajen offerings that are used in performing religious rites.
Actually she started her business in order to help support her family and adds to the income of her husband. She is particularly busy during rerahinan holydays such as Full Moon, Dark Moon, Kajeng Kliwon Day -a holy day specific to Balinese- Galungan, Kuningan, and Nyepi Saka New Year, as the orders invariably increase on these special days.
Murtini, started to make banten in her childhood, mainly as a hobby and for pocket money. However, she is a prominent helper in ngayah activities, which is unpaid work dedicated to temples. “My mother taught me the skills,” she said. Upgraded through training and courses in banten producing techniques at regency level in line with an official program composed by the Department of Religion, Murtini has become a tough professional.
She gets material for banten production in Denpasar’s Pemedilan Market. The materials sold are in good condition, at a relatively low price. “It is important for me to uphold the quality of the banten commodity. This is the reason why I give priority to search for young Balinese coconut leaf, rather than buying the material originating from Java, which easily decays,” she said.
She offers various kinds of banten. Banten for wedding ceremonies are on sale for Rp 1,500,000, while that banten which has been in contact with a priest, would be on sale at the price of Rp 2,500,000. Banten Odalan costs Rp 20,000,000 and with contact with a ‘Pedanda’ Hindu priests Rp 22,000,000. Banten Mesangih (for tooth-filing ceremonies) in the presence of a priest is Rp 2,500,000 and the ordinary version for Rp 1,500,000. Canang pakeling offered at holy days such as Full Moon, Dark Moon and Kajeng Kliwon is on sale at the price of Rp 15,000 per soroh or set. Murtini is capable of selling 20 – 30 sets per day.
The mother of four children has also served ‘banten’ implements of various kinds for temples existing in hotels, from the simple canang ceper for daily offerings to the kind dedicated to melaspas ceremonies to inaugurate a temple, office or other.
Made Murtini has become famous as a banten producer since many orders for the commodity come from hotels. At present, she takes orders from the Balinese community, living in Denpasar, Gianyar and Tabanan. She is a creative woman, clever in earning money by selling canang, and never absent helping during an odalan temple ceremony.
She is also keen in assisting her village members in executing religious ceremonies; with a motto she keeps in mind that human life should include social work.  (Budarsana)