Hello.🖐️ Today, I’m going to share with you my experience of making tea bags, a traditional Balinese culture. When you arrive in Bali, the first thing you see as soon as you step out of the airport, and the most common thing you see on the streets and in various places is the “tea bag”, which is one of the offerings to the gods in Hinduism and is a symbol of the traditional culture and religion of Bali. As one of the most anticipated experiences of my trip to Bali, I booked a tea bag making class during my stay at Nandini Jungle Resort in Ubud. You can try your hand at making one yourself, so be sure to check it out : )
My review of the tea bag making experience at Nandini Jungle Resort
When you come to Bali, you can see many tea bag saris all over the place, and most of the big hotels and resorts in Bali have programs where you can experience making tea bag saris. I had an experience at “Nandini Jungle Resort” in Ubud, and it was great to make it myself 👍.
What is Canang🌸?
It is a type of offering to the gods in Balinese Hinduism , and is carefully made by women every morning. It is one of the most representative symbols of traditional Balinese culture and religion , and is so ubiquitous that it can be seen on the streets, in temples, shops, and even on cars and motorcycles . There are many different types of Canang, one of which we often see is the Canang Sari.
I stayed at Ubud Nandini Jungle Resort for two nights, and on the morning of my second day I made a reservation to do the experience after breakfast. The experience takes place at the Djiwa Shala near the entrance to the hotel, and you’ll be directed to the front desk at the time of your reservation.
You’ll start by getting dressed in a sarong, a traditional Balinese garment, and tying a selendang around your waist with the help of our staff. In Balinese Hinduism, it’s important to be well groomed when entering sacred spaces or performing rituals, so wearing a sarong is not just an outfit, it’s a Balinese tradition to show respect to the gods and prepare for offerings with a clean heart : )
The tea bag making experience takes place at the Djiwa Shala, which is located towards the entrance of the hotel. It’s 97 sqm and hosts a variety of activities, including yoga, and is surrounded by rice paddies, giving it a really tranquil and peaceful natural atmosphere👍.
When I arrived at the location, I found all the materials needed to make the tea bag, including bottled water. First, I put a pretty flower in my right hair and started making the tea bag. Looking at all the colorful flowers 🌺 made me feel so happy lol.
Before making the tea bag, she explained the meaning of the tea bag and the ingredients and let us smell the flowers. I saw ylang ylang and fresh flowers for the first time, and I loved the scent of the flowers👍 We talked about the flowers I was curious about and had a great time : )
The core of the tea bag making experience is to make these baskets out of banana leaves, and they look gorgeous, don’t you think? 👍 Each place has a slightly different style, but at Nandini Jungle Resort, they minimize the use of staples and carefully weave the baskets one by one in the traditional style. We made several bowls, but it’s not too difficult because the teacher is very careful and calm, and you just need to follow the instructions. It was so much fun to use my hands for the first time in a long time, just to hold the basic mold and connect the seams.
The basket is then decorated with colorful flowers, and you’re done. It’s so colorful and pretty, isn’t it? 👍 It takes about an hour to make it, but it was so much fun that it didn’t take long : )
Now that we were done making our tea bags, it was time to offer them to the gods, and we took them to the Ayung River within the resort to experience the Balinese blessing and purification ceremony we had booked in advance. More on that in my next post : )
[Check out Nandini Jungle Resort Activities]
Overall Review
When you come to Bali, you will see a variety of tea bags everywhere. I’m not familiar with the Hindu culture, so this was a bit of an eye-opener for me, but it was a great experience to learn more about Balinese traditions and understand the deep faith they have in their daily morning prayers👍 You can make your own, so if you’re ever in Bali, you should definitely try making a canang : )
[Review: Nandini Jungle by Hanging Gardens, Ubud, Bali]