Banyan Trees, considered sacred by the Balinese as they are believed to be the trees where the Gods reside. They also believe that to keep the natural balance and maintain it, they will have to take better care of Banyan trees so they are presented with daily offerings.
PHDI, The Bali Chapter of Indonesian Hindu Religious Council routinely conducts the ritual of nunas sabeh mapag toya (praying for rain) during the summer. Last year's long summer had a great affect on the farming industry as the rain finally came in December.
In the most recent ritual around 120 Banyan plants were cared by the farmers along with the volunteers in a good hope that they will one day bloom into lush green trees.
Agung Wedha, Founder of Bali Organik Subak and the Cool Young Farmers community was one of the farmers. He staunchly believes that these offerings can go beyond the holy rituals.
As the population surges, the demand for water in Bali is also on a rise. BPS data statistics show that with an average of 6 million tourists there are around 3.8 million Balinese people living in Bali. Agung and his communities have a top priority of preserving water resources that are crucial to maintain the life philosophy of Balinese people, the Tri Hita Karana, which dictates that all Balinese must live in harmony with their surroundings. (wng)