Sacred Threads - Why White, Yellow, and Poleng Matter in Balinese Rituals

Step into any temple in Bali, and you’ll find the colors white, yellow, and poleng—a striking black-and-white checkered cloth—woven into the fabric of spiritual life. These are not just visual elements, nor mere traditions handed down without meaning. They are living symbols of cosmic balance, purity, and divine presence, deeply rooted in Balinese Hindu philosophy.

In a culture where ritual and daily life are inseparable, color is not chosen at random. It’s chosen with intent, reverence, and awareness of sacred truths. The colors worn, draped, and offered in ceremonies are as essential as the prayers themselves. They tell stories. They carry energy. They shape the way Balinese people see themselves in relation to the world.

Let us journey through the sacred symbolism behind these three foundational colors—white, yellow, and poleng—and understand how they hold the island’s spiritual rhythm together.

White – The Color of Purity and the Sacred North

In the Balinese spiritual color system, white (putih) represents purity, light, and the energy of Iswara, one of the five main manifestations of Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (the supreme god). White is associated with the direction of the east, but more deeply, with the cleansing of the mind and spirit.

You will see white cloth used to:

• Wrap temple shrines and statues

• Cover offering tables and altars

• Dress priests and worshippers during high ceremonies

• Envelop the sacred keris (daggers) and priestly tools

When a Balinese wears white attire, especially during rituals like Melasti or Galungan, it symbolizes the intention to approach the divine in a state of clarity and honesty. White is not just about cleanliness—it is about inner alignment.

Children at tooth-filing ceremonies often wear white kebaya and udeng, signifying their readiness to step into spiritual adulthood. During cremations, white flags are raised high to guide the departing soul into the next life.

In every fold of white fabric, there is a reminder: that life must be lived in alignment with dharma—with right action, thought, and spirit.

Yellow – The Glow of Prosperity and the Blessing of the Gods

If white is the color of sacred intention, yellow (kuning) is the color of divine favor and fertility. It is tied to Mahadeva, the deity of the south, and symbolizes abundance, blessings, and the earth’s richness.

In temples, yellow cloth is often wrapped around:

• Statues of deities associated with protection and prosperity

• Bale structures where offerings are presented

• Holy trees and sacred stones believed to house spiritual beings

During the celebration of Kuningan, one of Bali’s most important festivals, yellow dominates everything—from the offerings made from turmeric-colored rice, to the umbul-umbul (tall flags) waving in the wind. It is believed that this yellow hue attracts positive energy and honors ancestral spirits returning home.

Yellow is also used in combination with white for many offerings—especially during Odalan, the birthday of a temple—signifying the balance between the divine spirit and human devotion.

For the Balinese, yellow doesn’t just reflect sunlight. It reflects the light of the gods shining back at us.

Poleng – The Sacred Duality of Black and White

Perhaps the most distinct of all Balinese ritual textiles is kain poleng—the black-and-white checkered cloth that you’ll see wrapped around trees, statues, and even traffic barriers.

At first glance, it may seem decorative. But poleng is profound.

Its alternating squares of black and white represent Rwa Bhineda—the Balinese philosophy of duality and balance:

• Good and evil

• Night and day

• Joy and sorrow

• Creation and destruction

Poleng is a living symbol of life’s paradoxes, reminding us that the world is not meant to be pure or perfect. It is meant to be balanced. And within that balance lies harmony.

Wrapped around sacred trees, poleng signals the presence of a guardian spirit. Wrapped around statues, it calls attention to the spiritual energy that must be both honored and respected.

Poleng is not neutral—it carries power. That’s why it is worn by pemangku (temple priests), topeng dancers, and even ritual protectors during intense ceremonies. In wearing it, one steps into a role between worlds—a mediator between the seen and unseen.

Beyond Symbolism – Daily Rituals in Color

In the Balinese compound, color is everywhere—and it’s intentional.

A family shrine may be draped in white and yellow, signaling its function as a place of pure prayer. A banyan tree near the entrance may be wrapped in poleng, indicating that the tree is not just old—but inhabited by spiritual entities.

Even in daily offerings like canang sari, the arrangement of colored flowers follows this cosmology:

• White petals for Iswara (East)

• Red for Brahma (South)

• Yellow for Mahadeva (West)

• Blue or green for Wisnu (North)

These color placements are not just for beauty. They are part of a larger spiritual map, guiding offerings to the right divine directions.

So when a Balinese prepares a tray of flowers in specific colors, places them carefully in orientation to the sunrise, and lights incense—it is not mere habit. It is a cosmic conversation.

The Sacred in the Everyday – A Personal Encounter

I once joined a Melasti procession in Sanur, walking barefoot on sand beside villagers dressed in flowing white and yellow ceremonial clothes. They carried umbrellas, offerings, and gamelan gongs echoed across the sea breeze.

A man beside me wore poleng cloth tied around his waist. I asked him why.

He smiled and said, “Because I carry both light and shadow today.”

That stayed with me.

In that moment, I understood that these colors are not external. They are mirrors of the soul. And by wearing them with intention, the Balinese do not just dress their bodies—they dress their spirits.

Modernity and the Preservation of Sacred Threads

Even as Bali changes—becoming more connected, more global, more digital—the sanctity of these ritual colors remains.

Contemporary Balinese designers incorporate white, yellow, and poleng motifs into modern sarongs, prayer wear, and home design—not to commercialize them, but to keep them alive and visible.

Temples still follow the old color protocols. Ceremonies still pulse with hues that are not chosen for trend—but for truth.

Because in Bali, color carries memory. Color holds energy. Color is the language the spirit understands when words fall short.

Wrapped in Meaning

To witness a Balinese ritual is to be bathed in color—but not just any color. These are hues of history, prayer, and cosmic awareness.

White, reminding us to return to our center.
Yellow, guiding us to welcome joy and prosperity.
Poleng, holding the tension and grace of life’s opposites.

Together, they teach us something eternal:
That to live with color is not to live loudly—but to live consciously.

So the next time you see a statue wrapped in cloth, or an offering shaded in white and gold, don’t just admire the beauty. See the spiritual blueprint beneath. And if you’re fortunate enough to wear these colors in ceremony, do so with the reverence of someone stepping into a sacred thread that connects heaven and earth.