Bangli, Peace and Harmony

Plants of Oblation Planted at Courtyard House Compounds

Hindu devotees believe that all that exists on earth are the creations of God, including the plants around us. They believe that God creates plants for human welfare. That’s why devotees perform appreciation rituals to plants every Tumpek Wariga or the so-called Tumpek Uduh.
In the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, plants are principal elements that can realize cosmic balance. As mentioned in the Holy Scripture Rgveda (X.97.A) “ plants are the source of food and protection for the universe.”
Most plants that grow around us can be used as ingredients for offerings plants like bamboo, coconut, wine palm, banyan tree, dapdap, ancak, mango, various kinds of beans that are categorized cash crops, tubers, fruits like cucumber and papaya. But, there may be the possibility that certain plants for offerings grow specifically at particular places in accordance with soil conditions and climate.
According to Mrs. Puspa, an offering maker from Bangli what is required for the rituals are available all around us, either naturally growing or deliberately planted, though some of them belong to endangered species, they can still be obtained at other places.
It is said that plants that are most frequently used as offering ingredients are young coconut leaf, betel and dissimilar kinds of flowers. There are plants that can be used for offerings even though they are obviously conveyed in some Holy Scriptures (Lontar), but, in practice, have been known through generations by all people such as the use of betel’s leaf as porosan or cane; jackfruit’s leaf as wrappers of tape and young coconut leaf as the ingredient of canang.
In addition, Mrs. Puspa says, the use of fruits as ingredients for offerings is called raka-raka used prior to the overwhelming supply of imported fruits in Bali are adjusted to local conditions. It is the fruit produced in certain regions that are used as ingredients of offerings. Just as in Bangli, that is famous for its tangerine and kepundung (Baceaurea racemosa), so these fruits are predominantly taken advantage of for offerings. (BTN/suka)