Travels with Tricia

A red Hibiscus flower is placed in the hands of a statue in Ubud, Bali.

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Photo du Jour: A Red Hibiscus in Buddha’s Hand – Ubud, Bali

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Tricia A. Mitchell

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At our home away from home in Bali, Indonesia, this Buddha statue greeted us daily with a splendid flower in hand. The flowers — quite often hibiscuses or frangipanis — had been carefully selected and placed by the homestay’s hostess, Ayu.

Like the practice of making canang sari, Ayu’s ritual is another example of the spiritual offerings regularly performed by residents of this gentle island.


Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
-Hans Christian Anderson

Where in the World?

Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.

Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar

About the author

Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.

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8 responses to “Photo du Jour: A Red Hibiscus in Buddha’s Hand – Ubud, Bali”

  1. Rachael Avatar
    Rachael

    This post uplifted me for the afternoon. I remember these offerings, adorning statues all over Bali, from our trip there in 1992.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      The practice is magical, isn’t it? I remember reading a statistic that some of the Balinese spend about 30-40% of their income on spiritual practices!

      Glad the images brought back memories from your Balinese trip, Rachael. :)

      Reply
  2. belocchio Avatar
    belocchio

    Tricia. Your photograph of Buddha sings. My garden will be complete when I find a smiling Buddha. So looking forward to your next daily photograph. Virginia

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Virginia, how poetic – “Buddha sings…” Before we went on our trip, I was lucky to find an older Tibetan Buddha statue at a flea market in Germany. I placed it in the entry-way of our home to remind me that I was entering a serene place, following a busy day. I hope you’re having a great weekend. Your favorite peonies are just starting to reach their peak here. :)

      Reply
      1. belocchio Avatar
        belocchio

        Tricia how wonderful to find an old Buddha. My daughter had one in her garden. Every day we would put a little offering on the ledge – sometimes a flower, other times a bowl of rice. Buddha is very important to me. Enjoy the peonies. Virginia

      2. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
        Tricia A. Mitchell

        What a lovely practice, Virginia! I look forward to having mine out of storage someday so that I too can adorn it with flowers. We’re visiting my parents now and my mom has the house adorned with peonies. :)

  3. ~mimo~ Avatar
    ~mimo~

    a very serene photo! Lovely

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Mimo – many thanks! I’m so enjoying your Cambodia series, by the way. :)

      Reply