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Sanggah
HISTORY & CULTURESintermediate
Definition
The family temple — a small sacred enclosure within a Balinese house compound, located at the most auspicious kaja-kangin (northeast) corner of the natah. The sanggah contains shrines dedicated to deified ancestors and household deities, and is the site of daily offerings and regular family ceremonies. No Balinese compound is complete without a sanggah — its construction precedes that of all other buildings on the site.
Example
Before a Balinese family builds their house, the sanggah is established first — a small walled enclosure with stone or brick shrines consecrated in a ceremony — because the ancestors must be housed before the living can occupy the compound.