A Path Opens:
a Ganesha Puja in Bali
Posted by Christina Zipperlen on February 27, 2026
Every month we gather in ceremony to bless our jewelery and call upon the spirits and gods to send us their support and goodwill to keep doing what we love.
To pray to Ganesha and to honor him in ceremony – him, the placer and remover of obstacles, the guardian of thresholds, the keeper of beginnings makes up an important part of traditional Balinese ritual.
In Bali, devotion is not something separate from daily life. It moves through the hands of the people, in the weaving of canang offerings, in the lighting of incense, in the way prayers are spoken into the wind. A puja is not performance, it is participation. It is an intimate dialogue between human hearts and the unseen world that holds them. It is almost like the world slips into a deeper breath then.
How a Ganesha Puja Unfolds
Though each priest and each family may have their nuances, a Balinese Ganesha Puja generally follows a sacred order.
Here is the sequence as it traditionally unfolds:
1. Preparation of the altar (Penyajaan & Banten)
The ceremony begins with offerings: flowers, fruit, rice, incense, holy water arranged with devotion.
The altar becomes a field of beauty that invites the divine to dwell.
2. Lighting of incense (Dupa)
Incense is lit to purify and open the space.
Its smoke creates a bridge between the visible and the unseen worlds.
3. Purification of participants (Penyucian)
The priest sprinkles holy water to cleanse the hands, face, and crown.
We arrive emptied, softened, receptive.
4. Abhisheka: the ritual bathing of Ganesha
One of the most touching parts of a Ganesha Puja is the Abhisheka, the ceremonial washing of the deity.
In Bali and across the Hindu world, this is performed using:
- holy water
- coconut water
- milk
- sandalwood water
- or sometimes honey and herbal infusions
As the liquid is slowly poured over Ganesha’s head and body, the priest chants mantras that awaken, honor, and refresh the deity.
Why milk?
Milk represents purity, nourishment, and maternal care.
To bathe Ganesha in milk is to symbolically cleanse the mind, soften obstacles, and invite blessings for new beginnings. And Ganesha just simply loves sweets.
Besides, it is believed to cool the nervous system, clear energetic stagnation, and bring clarity, both to the deity and to those present.
In Bali, this gesture is tender and deeply human: a reminder that the gods, too, are tended to with love.
5. Opening mantras (Puja Mantra)
After the bathing, the priest chants invocations, accompanied by the ringing of a small bell. This calls in the presence of Ganesha and awakens the altar.
6. Invocation of Ganesha (Ganesha Mantra)
With soft repetition of Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha, the atmosphere deepens.
This is where each participant silently places their intention, a desire, a question, a prayer for clarity.
7. Offering of flowers (Penyembahan Mekar)
We lift a flower to the third eye with each mantra. Petals become prayers. Gesture becomes offering.
8. Blessing of offerings (Ngelinggihang)
The priest blesses the offerings with holy water and flame, activating them as carriers of blessing.
9. Receiving the blessing (Ngabekten)
Holy water is poured into our palms: three sips for purification, drops on the crown for clarity, rice grains placed on the forehead and chest for protection and intention.
10. Closing mantra & gratitude (Pamuput)
The ceremony closes with a final offering of incense and a prayer of gratitude. The space feels different, spacious, softened, reordered.
The Symbolism: Ganesha, The One Who Clears the Way
In Bali, Ganesha commonly stands at the entrances of temples, homes, and sacred spaces. He is the one we greet before stepping into anything new.
He represents:
- New beginnings
- Discernment & wisdom
- The removal of obstacles
- Protection of thresholds
- Steadiness when life feels uncertain
His elephant head symbolizes expanded perception, seeing truth beyond illusion.
His wide ears remind us to listen deeply.
His curved trunk teaches adaptability.
His broken tusk whispers that imperfection is not a failure but a doorway.
He does not rush us forward.
He clears the way so we can walk with clarity.
The Intention: What We Ask For When We Stand at a Threshold
In the quiet of the ceremony, I understand that a Ganesha Puja isn’t about asking for something spectacular.
It is about aligning inwardly, gently, honestly, with the path that is already calling.
Intentions whispered into that space often sound like:
- May I see clearly.
- May I walk with courage.
- May I release what no longer serves.
- May the way open in its right time.
- May I realise that whatever is in the way is the way.
Ganesha doesn’t remove obstacles for convenience. He removes what distracts us from our truth.
Why Ritual Matters in Times Like These
In days shaped by speed, uncertainty, and noise, rituals become anchors. They remind us that clarity grows in stillness. That renewal begins with presence. That we participate in our own unfolding, moment by moment.
A Ganesha Puja is not about outsourcing our life to the divine. It is about remembering that the divine is already within us and that our path becomes walkable when our heart becomes steady.
