Religion

Bali's Hindus preserve their religion and you will see it everywhere you go in Bali. Their religion is the very core of their being, no matter what class they are, it's the most important part of their lives.

There are holy places all over Bali, sometimes in the middle of a busy intersection, it's one of the great things about Bali, how they keep their culture and religion very much alive but have somehow worked out a way to make it work in the tourist parts as well, it's really this that makes Bali so great and differentiates Bali from other tourist places.

The Balinese worship the Gods, and every morning and every evening the women of every house, place a small leaf with flowers and bits of food in front of their house, which are then blessed by the burning of incense and sprinkling of holy water. You will witness this every morning and afternoon in front of every house and place of business.

These ceremonies take place in every Balinese home and business of every level of society, from the poorest to the richest. You will see it hundreds of times a day on the streets of Bali - literally everywhere you go. You will become immune to it, but the smell of incense, you will remember forever. And trust me, when you leave Bali, you miss that smell! :)

The offerings are literally in front of every single building, and can also be seen at temples, and on statues & trees. To clarify even further, it doesn't matter if it's a modern supermarket or DVD shop, there will be offerings to the gods outside of the buildings everyday. Watch your step while the incense is still burning. The incense or joss stick transmits the offering to the gods via the smoke, so once the stick has burnt out, the offering has been transmitted and the offering has no further spiritual value. You should therefore not feel bad if you stand on an extinguished one accidentally.

Ubud Market

Watch more videos on Bali Religion, Cremations, Temples and Celebrations.
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