Canang sari ( Balinese: ᬘᬦᬂᬲᬭᬶ) is one of the daily offerings made by Balinese Hindus to thank the Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in praise and prayer. ''Canang sari'' will be seen in the Balinese temples ( pura), on small shrines in houses, and on the ground or as a part of a larger offering.

Etymology

The phrase canang sari is derived from the Balinese words ''sari'' (essence) and ''canang'' (a small palm-leaf basket as the tray). ''Canang'' itself consists of two syllables from the

Kawi language Old Javanese or Kawi is the oldest attested phase of the Javanese language. It was spoken in the eastern part of what is now Central Java and the whole of East Java, Indonesia. As a literary language, Kawi was used across Java and on the island ...

: ''ca'' (beautiful) and ''nang'' (purpose).

Parts

''Canang sari'' has some parts; there are ''peporosan'', ''ceper'', ''raka-raka'', and ''sampian urasari''. ''Peporosan'' or the core material is made from

betel leaf The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel pl ...

banana leaf The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrapping ...

, lime, gambier, prestige,

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus ''Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the chie ...

and

betel nut The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel pla ...

s. Material of ''peporosan'' symbolizes the Trimurti, the three major Hindu Gods. Shiva is symbolized by lime, Vishnu is symbolized by betel nut, and

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

is symbolized by gambier. ''Canang sari'' are covered by ''ceper'' (a tray made from palm leaf) as a symbol of ''Ardha Candra''. ''Raka-raka'' is topped with ''sampian urasari'', which are in turn overlaid by flowers placed in a specific direction. Each direction symbolizes a Hindu God (

deva Deva may refer to: Entertainment * ''Deva'' (1989 film), a 1989 Kannada film * ''Deva'' (1995 film), a 1995 Tamil film * ''Deva'' (2002 film), a 2002 Bengali film * Deva (2007 Telugu film) * ''Deva'' (2017 film), a 2017 Marathi film * Deva ...

): * White-colored flowers that point to the east as a symbol of Iswara * Red-colored flowers that point to the south as a symbol of

* Yellow-colored flowers that point to the west as a symbol of Mahadeva * Blue or green colored flowers that point to the north as a symbol of Vishnu A ''canang sari'' is completed by placing on top of the canang an amount of ''kepeng'' (the coin money) or paper money, which is said to make up the essence (the "sari") of the offering.

Usage

''Canang sari'' is offered every day to Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa as a form of thanking for the peace given to the world; it is the simplest daily household offering. The philosophy behind the offering is self-sacrifice in that they take time and effort to prepare. ''Canang sari'' is not offered when there is a death in the community or family. Canang sari is also used on certain days, such as:

Kliwon The Javanese calendar ( jv, ꦥꦤꦁꦒꦭ꧀ꦭꦤ꧀ꦗꦮ, Pananggalan Jawa) is the calendar of the Javanese people. It is used concurrently with two other calendars, the Gregorian calendar and the Islamic calendar. The Gregorian calendar ...

, Purnama, and Tilem.

Gallery

References

{{reflist Balinese culture