​​When travelling to Bali, you might see trees wrapped in black and white checkered cloths with an array of offerings surrounding them. One pillar in the Balinese Hindu practice, “Tri Hita Karana” (the three causes of well-being), identifies three main fundamentals that bring happiness to people: the harmonious relationship with God, other living beings, and nature. The Balinese believe nature is guarded by protective spirits and should be highly respected.

This cover used to wrap the trees is no regular cloth, it is called “saput poleng”. Saput means cloth, while poleng means stripes in Bahasa Indonesia. The black and white represent the concept of “Rwa Bhineda”, which means two opposite traits in the world; the left and right, the top and bottom, the good and bad. There are always positive and negative sides to life. Where there’s evil, there’s always good to balance. The Rwa Bhineda’s philosophy teaches respect towards Gods and all their creations, both Sekala (the ones we can see) and Niskala (the ones we can’t see). 

When you see trees covered in clothes, it’s because they are considered sacred. Big trees with many vines, such as Banyan trees, are believed to be objects where spirits reside. To live peacefully among them, the Balinese Hindus highly honour these entities’ existence and give offerings daily as a form of acknowledgement. We must also be mindful of our actions near these sacred objects. 

Besides the big trees, every plant is celebrated on a day called “Tumpek Wariga”. The Balinese Hindus worship plants on this special day because humans depend on nature and its abundance. During this ceremony, they are prohibited from picking any part of the plants. They will then pray for good quality and quantity of the produce.

So next time you pass a big tree wearing checkered black and white cloth loaded with offerings, you know why fresh casino. Whether or not it is your first time in Bali, you have probably been exposed to its culture, beliefs, and traditions. The locals strongly believe in things that may seem odd and hard to understand, but we need to uphold and respect the values they hold as visitors. When in Rome, do as the Romans do – or as we say in Indonesia “Di mana bumi ku pijak, di situ langit ku junjung” (Where the earth is stepped on, the sky is upheld).