Tumpek Wariga 19 December 2026: Porridge for Trees and Etiquette

Tumpek Wariga, also called Tumpek Uduh, Tumpek Bubuh or Tumpek Pengatag, falls on Saturday, 19 December 2026. On this day Balinese Hindus offer rice porridge to trees and plants, exactly 25 days before Galungan on Wednesday, 13 January 2027.

The date matches on the Kalender Bali Digital (kalenderbali.org: "Tumpek Uduh/Pengatag, Saniscara Keliwon Wariga") and in the 2026 Hindu holiday schedule published by detikBali on 6 January 2026. We found no competing date. Checked 24 October 2026.

Why 19 December?

A Tumpek always lands on Saturday Kliwon, and it takes its name from the wuku (week) of the 210-day pawukon calendar. Saturday Kliwon of wuku Wariga is always 25 days before Galungan, so the plants are asked to bear plenty of fruit for the Galungan offerings. Five weeks earlier comes Tumpek Landep on 14 November 2026 for metal objects, and the previous Tumpek Wariga fell on 23 May 2026.

What will you see?

In house yards, gardens and rice fields, families place offerings in front of trees, especially fruit trees such as coconut, mango, jackfruit and durian. According to NOW! Bali, the ritual has stages: pengarah (the plant is "told" it is being blessed and addressed like a grandparent), pengatag (the trunk is tapped or lightly scored, then hung with a palm-leaf ornament called sasap), and bubuh (porridge as the plant's "food").

The porridge can come in several colours. At a Denpasar city government ceremony in 2024, Metro TV recorded five kinds based on the Lontar Bhagawan Agastyaprana manuscript:

• white rice porridge for tuber plants;
• red rice porridge for grain and seed plants;
• green sumsum porridge for fruit trees that flower first, such as mango and longan;
• yellow sticky rice porridge for trees that fruit on the trunk, such as jackfruit and durian;
• black rice (injin) porridge for ornamental, flowering and fragrant-oil plants.

Local governments also hold tree planting (Wana Kerthi) on the day. On Tumpek Wariga, 25 October 2025, detikBali reported the Bangli regency planting jackfruit, majegau, breadfruit and ketapang seedlings around Pura Pucak Hyang Wukir, while Merdeka.com reported a provincial prayer at Pura Pengubengan Besakih followed by island-wide tree planting and river clean-ups the next day.

Where can you see it?

The core ritual happens in family homes and gardens, so there is no single stage to watch. Places used for official ceremonies in past years:

• Pura Agung Lokanatha, Lumintang, Denpasar: Denpasar city's Nguduh Sarwa Tumuwuh ceremony, 31 August 2024 (Metro TV).
• Pura Pucak Hyang Wukir, Bangli: regency tree planting, 25 October 2025 (detikBali).
• Hutan Desa Selat, Sukasada, Buleleng: Wana Kerthi prayers and planting, 14 May 2022 (ANTARA Bali).

Past locations do not guarantee a repeat. The realistic approach: take a morning walk through a village with plenty of gardens and paddies, or ask your host whether the family blesses the trees in their compound and whether you may watch.

Etiquette for visitors

• Do not climb trees that day. NOW! Bali notes this prohibition because plants are treated as sacred on Tumpek Uduh.
• Do not touch or remove the offerings and porridge stuck to trunks, and do not push your camera into them.
• Ask before entering a family compound or photographing people at prayer.
• If you enter a temple, wear a sarong (kamen) and sash, and follow the local temple rules.
• Watch your step; never tread on canang offerings on the ground or in front of trees.

Practical information

• Date: Saturday, 19 December 2026 (Saniscara Kliwon Wariga). Family rituals are usually in the morning; there are no official hours.
• Tickets: none. It is a ceremony, not a show.
• Example of a 2024 official venue: Pura Agung Lokanatha on Google Maps. No parking information is published; a ride-hailing car or scooter taxi is easier on holy days.
• Status as of 24 October 2026: the date is fixed by the Balinese calendar; no government ceremony or planting programme for 19 December 2026 has been announced yet.

Sources: kalenderbali.org, detikBali (6 January 2026 and 25 October 2025), Metro TV (31 August 2024), Merdeka.com (22 October 2025), ANTARA Bali (14 May 2022), NOW! Bali. All checked 24 October 2026. For another Tumpek ritual, see Tumpek Wayang and Sapuh Leger; the porridge on the trees on 19 December is the first step toward Galungan and Kuningan.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tumpek Uduh the same as Tumpek Wariga? Yes. Wariga, Uduh, Bubuh, Pengatag and Pengarah are names for the same day.

Do shops and attractions close? No closures have been announced. Tumpek Wariga is not a national public holiday.

When is the next Tumpek Wariga? 210 days later, on Saturday 17 July 2027, 25 days before Galungan on 11 August 2027.