Religion in Bali by C. Hooykaas

17 Humble Things
Sufficiently visible in many a kitchen are the kitchen gods (q 2), of about the same one foot size
and the same material, clay, as the Malipa and Malipi displayed at the celebration of bajang
cholong, the half a year anniversary of a young child (t 2). The kitchen gods may go for years,
Malipa and Malipi only for a few hours.
For the taksu, lord and guardian of the temple territory, a small pavilion is a necessary feature of
every temple. Ngrurah is the lord of the soil; on approaching an important temple one may leave
his offering for him on a large piece of stone (q 5), rounded off by centuries of movement in the
waters, the same kind as that used at the end of nigang sasihin and covering the afterbirth. When
in a temple offerings are laid on top of it, they are reputed for Ibu Pertiwi, Mother Earth (q 5). At
the Pura Luhur of Batu Karu the debris of sacred buildings, which should not be consumed by
fire, are collected in a pit; their Guardian is Jro Bangbang, Mister Pit [22].
Déwi Malanting receives offerings from all those engaged in commerce, shopkeeping and
marketing.
Mainly for lack of a good heading to deal with the following subject it will be incorporated here.
In North Bali, the province Bulèlèng, everybody knew about existence of the were tigers of
Pulaki. As recently as 1949 they paid worship to the material remains of Jaya Prana, in the past
the victim of his feudal lord's jealousy, now the symbol of the victims of resistance. In august he
was to be cremated, his symbolic body and the offerings were outspread on a bamboo
scaffolding. On the evening preceding the cremation, during hours at a stretch, silently the
''Invisibles" passed under the construction made for Jaya Prana; all those present were awe struck
by the perception. The "Invisibles" at that occasion made it abundantly clear that they did not
merely belong to the lore, told to the young children by old nannies [21].
Whether one travels by coach or by truck, the Balinese driver will have provided himself with
petrol as well as with at least one offering. When reaching the watershed between south and
north Bali, he stops a few seconds, giving his helper an opportunity to put a small offering in the
pillar destined for this purpose, accompanied by a short prayer. The same is done when passing