Every year, Ibu Nyoman Siniri harvests around 150 kilograms of dried cloves from trees grown in her backyard. These trees have financially helped her family.

Every year, Nyoman’s family thanks the clove trees and other plants in their backyard in a ceremony called Tumpek Pengatag, also known as Tumpek Bubuh. Balinese people believe that on that particular day, the gods of vegetation, known as Sanghyang Sangkara, come to the Earth to maintain the fertility of plants and provide humans with good harvests.

The ceremony takes place once every 210 days on the Saniscara Kliwon Wariga Balinese calendar, or 25 days before Galungan day (a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma over adharma, or good against evil).

This year, the celebration fell on March 11, 2017. 

The Balinese Hindus believe vegetation should be taken care of so it will not turn into negative energy and disrupt the natural balance.
In Denpasar, Tumpek Bubuh was celebrated by making green marrow porridge as an offering. The ritual is an implementation of Tri Hita Karana – the Balinese Hindu concept of the harmony between the gods, human beings and nature, including plants. [yan]