Beautiful Balinese Penjor
Bali has many cultures and traditions, sacrifice is one of the ways to grateful for the God-like ‘Penjor’. ‘Penjor’ very importance with Balinese culture. The ‘Penjor’ is a tall, curved bamboo pole decorated with coconut leaves with an offering at the base. This is one of the media used by Hindus people in Bali as part of almost every important ceremony, especially for the anniversary temple celebrations.
The aim of erecting ‘Penjors’ at ‘Galungan’ is to show devotion to God in His manifestation as ‘Hyang Giri Pati’ (the God of the mountain). Mountains with deep forests hold a lot of water, which flows into rivers. This then fulfills water needs for irrigation and drinking water. During ‘Galungan’ celebrations, each family erects a ‘Penjor’ outside their gate, which makes the whole neighborhood look splendid.
Material to make ‘Penjor’
The basic material of a ‘Penjor’ is a curved bamboo pole. The pole is then decorated with yellow coconut leaves, ‘Pala Bungkah’ (roots - sweet potato or cassava), ‘Pala Gantung’ (fruit - cucumbers, oranges, bananas), ‘Pala Wija’ (cereal - rice, corn), ‘Plawa’ (leaves), traditional cakes, 11 Chinese coins, and a small shrine with some offerings.
All materials for a Penjor constitute peoples' basic needs, signifying that we should take care of those things. In addition, livestock sacrificed for the ceremony are believed to become better creatures in their next life.
You can see Penjor in Bali if you come when Hindus people celebrate Galungan and Kuningan Day. On 2015 you can see in July month.
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