GALUNGAN & KUNINGAN

One of the most religious and recurring festivals and ceremonies observed here in Bali is that of GALUNGAN and KUNINGAN. Galungan is the festival that celebrates the victory of 'Dharma over Adharma'. This is a period when all the ancestral spirits are said to descend on earth. These are the spirits of deceased relatives who have been cremated and they return to their former places of residence. The current occupants of their former homes are then entrusted with the responsibility of being hospitable through the means of Prayers and Offerings. The most significant of these hospitable acts, is the construction and arrangement of bamboo poles which are weighed down by the offerings which are placed at the top of the pole. These poles are known as 'Penjors'

and the picture (below) illustrates a street in a local village that is aligned with such penjors and a single penjor. It really is a remarkable sight to behold.

Galungan is a festival that is observed by the Balinese Hindus and the dates are decided by the 210 day Balinese Calendar. The festival stretches over a period of 10 to 11 days and these days have various names and activities that are to be performed. The festival ends with a day called 'KUNINGAN' which is the day the ancestral spirits return to heaven. Because the Balinese Calendar has 210 days there is the possibilty of having two of these festivals in the same solar year. Galungan itself lasts two days but preparations and activities start well before and run even after the two days. Bear with me as I try and take you through the various days of this special festival. THREE DAYS BEFORE - 'Penyekeban' - a day where bananas are cooked for the offerings TWO DAYS BEFORE - 'Penyajaan' - On this day fried rice cakes are prepared, also known as 'jaja' 1 DAY BEFORE- 'Penampahan' - (sorry vegetarians) but this is the day when pigs and turtles are slaughtered for the feasts. THE FIRST DAY OF GALUNGAN- This day is observed as a preparation for the following day. A great deal of preparations go into this day such as decorating of temples, offerings to Gods, and preparation of food. Men create the 'Penjors' and get the suckling roast pig ready, known as 'Babi Guling". THE SECOND DAY- this is the main day of the celebration and is filled with various different types of ceremonies. Each family will have a ceremony at their temple at home as well as the main village temple that they are a part off. 1 DAY AFTER - 'Manis Galungan' - which means 'Sweet Galungan'. This is the day of celebration and the entire family has loads of fun. Families visit beaches for a swim in the ocean or head out on picnics and various other such activities. Visiting of different members of the family happens on this day. 10 DAYS AFTER - 'Kuningan' - This is the day when the ancestral spirits return to the heavens. This day is filled with prayers, offerings and other such ceremonies. 11 DAYS AFTER - a day of rejoicing and fun for all. The image (above) depicts ladies of the villages all dressed up carrying offerings to the temples. This festival truly is a sight to behold and those visiting Bali should try and time their trips in order to catch a glimpse of this event.