Canang sari ( Balinese: ᬘᬦᬂᬲᬭᬶ) is one of the daily offerings made by Balinese Hindus to thank the

Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa Acintya (from Sanskrit: अचिन्त्य, "the inconceivable", "the unimaginable"), also known as Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa ( Balinese: "The Divine Order") and Sang Hyang Tunggal ("The Divine Oneness"), is the Supreme God of Indonesian Hind ...

in praise and prayer. ''Canang sari'' will be seen in the Balinese temples (

pura Pura may refer to: Places * Pura, Kushtagi, a village in Koppal district, Karnataka, India * Pura, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran * Pura, Tarlac, a municipality in the Philippines * Pura, Switzerland, a municipality in Ticino, S ...

), 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 plant ...

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, wrappin ...

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

, 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 ...

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 p ...

s. Material of ''peporosan'' symbolizes the

Trimurti The Trimūrti (; Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति ', "three forms" or "trinity") are the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of ...

, the three major Hindu Gods.

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

is symbolized by lime,

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

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

Iswara ''Ishvara'' () is a concept in Hinduism, with a wide range of meanings that depend on the era and the school of Hinduism. Monier Monier Williams, Sanskrit-English dictionarySearch for Izvara University of Cologne, Germany In ancient texts of ...

* 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

A ''canang sari'' is completed by placing on top of the canang an amount of ''kepeng'' (the coin money) or

paper money A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes were originally issued ...

, which is said to make up the essence (the "sari") of the offering.

Usage

''Canang sari'' is offered every day to

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, Purnama, and Tilem.

Gallery

References

{{reflist Balinese culture