Broughton Quarterly - Fall 2007 - (Page 21) I ’VE KEPT A RESPECTFUL DISTANCE and put away my camera. I smile to indicate my interest and the woman gently nods back. She is perhaps 45 or 50, dressed in a traditional, colorful, ground-sweeping sarong and a longsleeve lace top. Her glossy jet hair is pulled into a tight bun. On her head she balances a bamboo tray filled with frangipani flowers, fruit, bits of rice on banana leaves, and incense. She stands before a statue wrapped in yellow cloth; a black and white checked tendung, or fringed parasol, shields and protects the figure. The woman is slight and her movements are precise, elegant, fluid. She lights the incense and makes a series of almost imperceptible wrist movements, then waves her right hand over the fragrant, burning sandalwood. Her lips move, but I cannot hear the prayer she utters. In a matter of perhaps a minute, the ritual is over. All across Bali this same ceremony is being repeated, as it has been for centuries. Fleeting though the act may be, it is indelible, especially to a visitor. The offerings, called banten in the local dialect, are woven into everyday life. Western influences may be galloping into the country, but this timeless practice endures. The gentle, peaceful, and reverent rite is performed twice a day, usually by women; a visitor will witness this scene many times during a visit to Bali. It never failed to enchant me. There are said to be more than 20,000 community temples—and new ones are constantly being built—that serve the island’s population of nearly three million. Balinese religion is rooted in Hindu animism; more than 90 percent of residents practice this spirituality (the rest of Indonesia is overwhelmingly Muslim). Similar offerings are made in private homes, in shrines, in shops, and on the sidewalks. Walking in Ubud one afternoon, I bend down to admire the delicate artistry of the woven leaf basket placed on the sidewalk in front of a tourist shop. A dog pads up, noses it, then laps the rice from inside. A shopkeeper chuckles as he pulls on a cigarette, watching the scene. We exchange smiles. A few blocks later, an old woman sweeps a patch of concrete using a broom made of gnarled twigs. A basket is brushed into the pile without fanfare. I notice there are many others on a trash heap about two feet tall. Some are still a bright, waxy green; others have faded to brown in the bright sunlight and are dry to the touch. The offerings are both beautiful and disposable, symbolic of the Hindu philosophy of creation, preservation, and destruction/recreation. Tomorrow and tomorrow and Q tomorrow the cycle will repeat. STAyING SPIRITuAL IBAH LuxuRy VILLAS & SPA Balinese owned and operated, Ibah offers unparalleled service in Ubud, the island’s fine arts and cultural center. The gorgeous property is actually located on holy ground, where the rivers Oos and Tjampuhan meet amongst lush natural gardens, and owned by the Prince of Ubud. Rates from $215, www.Ibah-Bali.com www.BroughtonQuarterly.com 21 http://www.Ibah-Bali.com http://www.BroughtonQuarterly.com
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