Balinese Hindus Celebrate a Ritual for Petulu’s White Herons

JAKARTA POST
By Luh De Suriyani

BALI --- On the special day of Kuningan, one of the most important religious celebrations for Balinese Hindus, which took place on Saturday, hundreds of residents from Banjar Petulu Gunung near Ubud in Gianyar regency performed a ritual to pay their respects to the kokokan (egrets) at their Pura Dalem temple. Lavish and elaborate offerings containing food, fruit and colorful flowers arranged with decorative young coconut leaves were presented at the Pura Dalem, the temple dedicated to Shiva, and surrounding shrines to honor the village’s sacred birds. “The ritual is performed every six months, on Kuningan day, to pray for the birds which, local people strongly believe, bring prosperity and safety to the village and its residents,” explained Mangku Made Tirta, one of the Hindu temple priests at the temple. [link]