Offerings, Large and Small

outside a pharmacy

Canon for a holiday

A huge part of the daily Balinese lifestyle is to place offerings just about everywhere, but especially in Bali's 10,000+ temples and the entry ways to homes.  But wait---there's more. You can see them on dashboards, motorcycles, and in shops.  Called canon (pronounced channon), they are to show gratitude and respect to the gods, or for those placed on the ground,  to ward off evil demons.  A gift to a higher being must look attractive, so each one is a work of art. They must include food, usually rice, and often we see them with Ritz crackers and incense.  Typically they are the size of the one outside the pharmacy or on the motorcycle seat.  However, as the major holiday of Galungan approaches, larger and more elaborate ones abound.  Here are but a few of the hundreds--perhaps thousands--we have seen in the past two weeks.

On a wall

The entry way to our villa

She has a lot of deliveries to make

Motorcycle seat

The entry way to a home

On the way to the temple just 50 meters from our villa

One canon too many

Back of scooter

Just inside a resturant

Just inside a guest house

VW Beetle dashboard

Entry to our compound*

*Shortly before I took the photo of the canon outside our villa, I was awakened from a nice nap by some loud gong-like sounds.  I went outside, and across the lane was one of several village garage bands playing. It was an afternoon delight--even better than my nap! Enjoy this short link!