Is It OK to Step on Canang Offerings on Bali Streets?

Try not to, but if it happens there is no fine or legal penalty. Balinese people are generally understanding when a visitor steps on a canang by accident, as detikBali has noted. What does cause offence is stepping on, kicking or damaging offerings on purpose.

Canang and segehan: what is the difference?

A canang is a small tray of palm leaf holding flowers and a little food, offered every day by Balinese Hindus as an act of gratitude. The ones lying on pavements, outside shops and at crossroads are often segehan: offerings placed on the ground for the bhuta kala, with rice, shallot, ginger and salt on a leaf base, sometimes sprinkled with water, arak or palm wine. According to an article by the Buleleng regional secretariat's welfare division, segehan are placed in yards, at entrance gates and even at road junctions to keep nature in balance. So they really are meant to sit where people pass.

Before you step: what visitors often get wrong

Walking while looking at your phone. Morning is when fresh offerings go down outside homes, shops and hotels. On narrow pavements in Ubud, Seminyak or Kuta, glance down now and then.

Stepping over one while the incense is still burning. While the incense is smoking, the offering is considered to be in progress, so walk around it if you can. A common explanation from locals is that once the incense has burned out, the essence (sari) of the offering has been received, so remains crushed by a scooter or eaten by a dog are no longer a concern. Interpretations differ between families and villages, so it is safer to stay careful.

Moving or clearing it away. Do not shift a canang that is blocking a door, chair or your surfboard. Ask the staff or owner to help.

Taking what is inside. A canang sometimes holds Chinese coins, small banknotes, sweets, biscuits or a cigarette. These are part of the offering, not dropped belongings.

Photographing too close. Taking a photo of a canang on the pavement is generally not forbidden. What is often seen as rude is rearranging it to look better on camera, crouching right in front of someone making an offering, or using flash in the face of someone praying. Wait until they finish, or ask permission with a gesture.

Panicking when a scooter or car runs one over. Street offerings get driven over all the time, including by locals. There is no need to stop or get off. If you are driving, avoid them when it is safe, and never swerve sharply.

Assuming every day is the same. On Kajeng Kliwon (every 15 days), full moon (purnama), new moon (tilem) and holy days, there are far more offerings, including large segehan at crossroads. According to the Balinese calendar, October 2026 has Kajeng Kliwon on 10 and 25 October, Tilem Kapat on 11 October, Purnama Kelima on 25 October and Saraswati day on 31 October.

Believing stories about fines. We found no regional regulation, PHDI (Hindu council) decision or village customary law (awig-awig) that fines visitors for accidentally stepping on a canang. If someone asks you for money on those grounds, ask which rule they mean. Strict customary rules do exist, but they generally concern temple grounds and ceremonies, not offerings on a pavement.

What if you already stepped on one?

Pause for a moment, say sorry to the shop owner or anyone nearby, and do not try to tidy it yourself. A smile and "maaf" (sorry) are enough. Canang are made fresh every day, and many Balinese see this kind of thing as ordinary.

Rules inside temple grounds are much stricter than on the street, from sarongs and sashes to restrictions for menstruating women; see our summary of temple etiquette and rules in Bali. If you are curious how they are made, some cultural classes teach canang making; options are in culture and craft classes in Bali.