Tirta, holy water, is used in nearly every act of worship in Bali. It purifies people, offerings and places, and is understood as a vehicle of divine power and blessing. The faith is so bound up with water that scholars once called it agama tirta, the religion of holy water. No temple ceremony, house blessing or cremation is complete without it.
Holy water is made in two main ways. Priests consecrate ordinary water with mantras, hand gestures and flowers; the most potent tirta, used for major rites such as cremations and temple festivals, is prepared by a pedanda. Water is also drawn from sacred sources such as springs, lakes and temples, and families sometimes travel long distances to collect it for important ceremonies. Different ceremonies call for different kinds of tirta.
At the end of temple prayers, a priest moves among the kneeling worshippers with a bowl of tirta and a flower or leaf. Each person receives a sprinkle over the head, then cups their right hand to sip it three times and wash the face. Grains of rice soaked in the water are pressed to the forehead and throat. It is a quiet, intimate moment repeated millions of times a year across the island.
Highlights
- Blessing at the close of temple prayers
- Sacred springs and lakes as sources
- Rice grains pressed to the forehead
- Holy water prepared by high priests
Good to know
- If invited to receive tirta, follow the person beside you: sip three times, then wash your face.
- Do not fill bottles at sacred springs without asking the temple caretakers.
Bali: Culture, Tradition & Religion
Offerings, ceremonies, temples and beliefs: 100 short chapters on what makes Balinese culture unlike anywhere else.