Every temple in Bali has a regularly scheduled festival, an odalan, to celebrate the anniversary of temple dedication. The Odalan are scheduled either by the lunar calendar, the Saka Calendar, or by the 210-day ceremonial cycle, the Pawukon calendar. The latter consist of 30 weeks, each seven days long. Most odalans are set by the Pawukon calendar, some temple fix their odalans according to lunar calendar or the Saka Calendar. Usually an odalan takes place at either full or new moon, more likely full than new.

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The panca datu, an important offering of iron, silver, copper, and gold, which is used to bless the foundation of an important building. Thus, even today, Pis bolong are associated with wealth. A single Pis bolong was never really valuable - but it is a charged metal object that is associated with, and a vehicle of, wealth. And so when gifts are made to the gods in the form of offerings such as flowers, fruits, cakes, and meat, Pis bolong are offered also. Pis oblong are included as the “base” of certain kinds of offerings. The exact number of coins is almost always specified, although the significance of the numbers is not known.

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A small temporary shrine of bamboo called a sanggah cucuk is always found beneath a panjor. Small offerings to the deities are placed here for as long as the penjor is in use. This shrine is often “clothed” in a symbolic garment called a lamak. The colorful runners made of plaited palm leaf often contain images of prosperity and fertility like the cili, an ancient symbol of both human and wet rice life cycles.

Tall Jerimpen offerings, set in plaited baskets, are constructed around cylindrical bamboo frame and crowned by a large leaf sampian. Seen Jerimpen on procession of Pura Ulun Danu Batur ’s temple festival.

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Small lead or bronze Chinese coins with a hole in the center used in offerings and as decoration in rituals. In the 19^th and early 20^th centuries the kepeng was the most wide-spread form of “cash” used on Bali, worth a fraction of a Dutch cent and the smallest coin in use. Also used in weight measurement.

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An offering is something tangible, presented to appease the Gods in times of prayer. Philosophically, an offering is a sort of self sacrifice that takes time and effort to prepare. The simplest Balinese offering called ngejot is performed every morning once the family food has been prepared. Small portions of leaf are placed on a tray and topped with a sprinkle of salt, a few grains of rice and some shredded coconut (or a tiny piece of the food that has just been cooked). This is then placed in the family shrine and presented to God in appreciation for the food that is about to be consumed.