Last day for Bali

Today was the day for temples. I have always been confused with the plethora of Hindu gods but in truth they have only 3 main gods: Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver and Shiva, the destroyer. Even though Shiva is the destroyer he recreates so he is not all bad. Nonetheless it is important to keep on good terms with him. There are also manifestations of the gods, eg an elephant for Shiva. Monkeys are viewed as defenders of the God's kingdom. And then there are the ancestors to keep happy.

Temples attract gods into the human world, encourage them not to make trouble and placate the evil spirits. Bali has 50,000 temples. Every home, neighborhood and village has a temple of varied importance. Each temple has a drum tower to summon the community; a split gate to mark the boundary between the spiritual world and the outer world; and a pagoda for a temporary residence for the God. A greater number of roofs reflects more godly importance. The structure of the pagoda reflects the cosmic mountain where the gods live. There are often frequent umbrellas that represent power and protection

The Hindus make food offerings to the gods to appease them. After the gods take the spiritual substance the offerer takes home the rest.Read more