Banyan tree
Sacred dressed trees around Bali
You have probably noticed while driving around Bali that some trees are wearing a poleng sarong (checkerboard black & white sarong). You’ll see them around big trees, and most of the time on Banyan trees ( or Beringin in Bahasa indonesia )
Hindu balinese cover them with poleng and build a small temple next to tem to show their respect and keep the balance between humans and nature in harmony.
Banyans are sacred trees for hindus they also call them Tumbuhan Sorga which means « tree from heaven ».
Ok now take a deep breath, I tried to make it as simple as I could. As you may know, it’s really hard to find informations about Bali hinduism as not a lot is written and goes from mouth to ear.
In 1878 was born a high priest: Ida made Pedanda Sidemen. He wrote (carved in wood) a collection of Lontar (let’s say it’s a short story/myth). In Bali, The banyan myth comes from Shiva Agamah (system of spirituality involving ritual worship and ethical personal conduct through precepts of a god- here Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism).
Here is the story :
When Bhagawan Salukat went on a pilgrimage (Tirtha Yatra) to Daha, he found a part of dry and not good looking banyan tree. The tree begged him for help and said:
“Yang mulia Bhagawan Salukat leburlah dosa hamba, sebatang tanaman yang tumbuh di tempat sunyi, setiap waktu kurus dan selalu menjadi makanan hewan,”
« Venerable Bhagavan Salukat, is my servant’s sin, a plant that grows in a quiet place, always thin and always becomes animal food »
Bhagawan Salukat was a generous man and could not bear the misery of the tree so he started to say a mantra:
« Duhai kau beringin, kini wajib bagimu menjadi pendamai dunia, melebur dosa, wajib menjadi pelindung para dewa, tumbuh di setiap tempat suci »
« O you banyan, now it is obligatory for you to be a pacifier of the world, to melt away sin, to be a protector of the gods and to grow in every holy place. »
Nowadays in Bali, hindus believe that banyan trees, thanks to their nice umbrella shape and beautiful leaves are a place where gods and spirits are having rest. Banyan leaves are Khrishna favorite rest spot, Vishnu represents the bark, Brahma the roots and Shiva the branches.
In Bhagawan Salukat myth we also read banyan are trees of gods especially Dewa Shiva and his wife Dewi Perwati.
Its leaves are now used for big hindu ceremony and have a lot of benefits (medical and spiritual).They also are the symbol of purity.
Banyan trees are sacred in many places around the world : Hawaï, India, Indonesia, …
Banyan: World's biggest tree
If we talk in terms of the area they cover, Banyan trees are the world’s biggest tree in the world. The biggest one alive today is in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It covers 1.9 hectares (4.7 acres) and can shelter 20,000 people.
Aerial roots that develop from its branches descend and take root in the soil to become new trunks. One tree may in time assume the appearance of a very dense thicket as a result of the tangle of roots and trunks.
A legend says that during the Dutch occupancy in the 40s, locals used the tree to hide from the Dutch troops. Enemies were unable to find them because the spirit of the tree made them invisible and locals were saved.
Another legend says that the spirit of the tree grants wishes if you pray to them from the bottom of your heart.