Each day she placed a little portion of the food she cooked on a shelf above her pots and pans for Batara Uma, and dropped blossoms and betel leaves beside the little pool in the rocks down near the river (from which we got our drinking water) for the spirit of the
spring.
Colin McPhee in A House in Bali
One of the first things I noticed in Bali are the ubiquitous little pallets of offerings that take many different forms. They may contain leaves, flowers, fruit, incense, even candy bars.
Before most tourists get up each morning the Balinese sweep away the prior day's offerings from around their homes and businesses. Then throughout the day they create more offerings which are everywhere, both underfoot and perched here and there in little shrines.
You can walk on them, it's often impossible not to, and I take it that it's the presentation of the offering that matters.
This daily gift of offerings is meant to appease and please the many gods and demons of Balinese Hinduism.
Offerings range from a small and fragrant flower on each step leading into a compound to more elaborate
ones to guard the houses doorway and appease the gods represented by statues throughout the house.
The Balinese spend parts of each day creating and dispersing these offerings around their compounds, often accompanied by burning incense.
It's all quite lovely. And it's all quite labor intensive.
The offerings in the following photos are all pretty substantial, but I think that's because I was walking on residential streets. In the more commercial areas the offerings are, if anything, more numerous, but they are also simpler.
A big offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:42
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/6.4 1/120s ISO 200
800 x 574 px
247 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1830
Ubud photos
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A big offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:42
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/6.4 1/120s ISO 200
800 x 574 px
247 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1830
Ubud photos
Photos
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A big offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:42
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/6.4 1/120s ISO 200
800 x 574 px
247 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1830
Ubud photos
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Offering on the path to my house
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:44
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/6.4 1/1250s ISO 200
800 x 595 px
262 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1829
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering is placed at the start of a small path.
The tall shrine on the left is sitting in what looks like an empty lot. It could be for the plants being cultivated on that lot or it
could be for some planned construction on this site.
Offering on the path to my house
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:44
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/6.4 1/1250s ISO 200
800 x 595 px
262 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1829
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering is placed at the start of a small path.
The tall shrine on the left is sitting in what looks like an empty lot. It could be for the plants being cultivated on that lot or it
could be for some planned construction on this site.
Offering on the path to my house
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:44
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/6.4 1/1250s ISO 200
800 x 595 px
262 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1829
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering is placed at the start of a small path.
The tall shrine on the left is sitting in what looks like an empty lot. It could be for the plants being cultivated on that lot or it
could be for some planned construction on this site.
Galungan poles
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:50
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/7.1 1/120s ISO 200
1200 x 800 px
428 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1933
Ubud photos
Photos
Walking down the street this morning, looking at offerings, I couldn't help notice these long poles.
They'll be in next week's Galungan festival which, lucky for me, is almost back-to-back with Nyepi this year.
Galungan poles
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:50
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/7.1 1/120s ISO 200
1200 x 800 px
428 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1933
Ubud photos
Photos
Walking down the street this morning, looking at offerings, I couldn't help notice these long poles.
They'll be in next week's Galungan festival which, lucky for me, is almost back-to-back with Nyepi this year.
Galungan poles
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:50
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/7.1 1/120s ISO 200
1200 x 800 px
428 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1933
Ubud photos
Photos
Walking down the street this morning, looking at offerings, I couldn't help notice these long poles.
They'll be in next week's Galungan festival which, lucky for me, is almost back-to-back with Nyepi this year.
An offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:54
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/2.8 1/500s ISO 200
1200 x 1200 px
683 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1932
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:54
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/2.8 1/500s ISO 200
1200 x 1200 px
683 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1932
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:54
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/2.8 1/500s ISO 200
1200 x 1200 px
683 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1932
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:56
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/2.8 1/640s ISO 200
606 x 800 px
216 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1826
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:56
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/2.8 1/640s ISO 200
606 x 800 px
216 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1826
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:56
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/2.8 1/640s ISO 200
606 x 800 px
216 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1826
Ubud photos
Photos
Galungan poles
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:56
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/4.0 1/350s ISO 200
800 x 533 px
215 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1825
Ubud photos
Photos
Galungan poles
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:56
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/4.0 1/350s ISO 200
800 x 533 px
215 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1825
Ubud photos
Photos
Galungan poles
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 9:56
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/4.0 1/350s ISO 200
800 x 533 px
215 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1825
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:00
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/4.0 1/250s ISO 200
800 x 766 px
302 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1824
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:00
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/4.0 1/250s ISO 200
800 x 766 px
302 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1824
Ubud photos
Photos
An offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:00
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 18mm f/4.0 1/250s ISO 200
800 x 766 px
302 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1824
Ubud photos
Photos
Offerings
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:11
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 25mm f/4.5 1/320s ISO 200
800 x 742 px
319 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1823
Ubud photos
Photos
Presenting an offering involves more than just placement, it's a ceremony.
Offerings
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:11
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 25mm f/4.5 1/320s ISO 200
800 x 742 px
319 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1823
Ubud photos
Photos
Presenting an offering involves more than just placement, it's a ceremony.
Offerings
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:11
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 25mm f/4.5 1/320s ISO 200
800 x 742 px
319 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1823
Ubud photos
Photos
Presenting an offering involves more than just placement, it's a ceremony.
Everyone enjoys the offerings
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:32
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 55mm f/4.0 1/240s ISO 200
688 x 800 px
228 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1822
Ubud photos
Photos
Might have better teeth if he laid off the sweets.
Everyone enjoys the offerings
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:32
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 55mm f/4.0 1/240s ISO 200
688 x 800 px
228 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1822
Ubud photos
Photos
Might have better teeth if he laid off the sweets.
Everyone enjoys the offerings
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:32
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 55mm f/4.0 1/240s ISO 200
688 x 800 px
228 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1822
Ubud photos
Photos
Might have better teeth if he laid off the sweets.
Monkey enjoying offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:32
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 55mm f/4.0 1/250s ISO 200
800 x 753 px
246 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1821
Ubud photos
Photos
Monkey enjoying offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:32
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 55mm f/4.0 1/250s ISO 200
800 x 753 px
246 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1821
Ubud photos
Photos
Monkey enjoying offering
Thu, 30 Mar 2017 at 10:32
in Ubud, Bali
X-Pro2 18-55 55mm f/4.0 1/250s ISO 200
800 x 753 px
246 kb
www.jamesgaston.ca/photo/1821
Ubud photos
Photos