Galungan, a Christmas for Balinese will soon come. And if you happen to visit Bali on Galungan day you will be hailed by thousands of Penjor along the roadside all over of Bali.

What is Penjor? Penjor is made from a long bamboo pole about eight meter high with curved end, and decorated with palm leaves, rice paddies, corn on the cob, coconut, cakes, a piece of white or yellow cloth, etc. It is the symbol of Mount Agung and also as gratitude for the agricultural produce. The arched top of the bamboo pole represents Mount Agung, the body of the pole is a river that flows from the mountains to the sea, and along its route are the products of the harvest, tied to the pole.

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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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