#BalineseCeremonies
Siwa Ratri, The Ritual Wake For The Longest Night of the Year
The longest night of the year is a important ritual moment in the life of the Balinese. In the local lunar-solar Saka calendar, it falls on the 14th panglong lunar day of the seventh (Kapitu) month. Fully dedicated to the cult of Siwa, this night is called the Night of Siwa, or Siwa Ratri. The
Penampahan Galungan: Preparations and Purifications
Note: There are images of slaughtered animals and a pig over a fire, if this kind of subject matter upsets you, please be aware. It starts suddenly in the middle of the night, while people are sound asleep. It sounds like the wailing of a milk-lusting baby. But the wailing soon dies out into a
What is Nyepi? Understanding Bali’s Day of Silence
How do Westerners open the New Year? With revelry. How do the Balinese open their own New Year? With a full day of silence, called Nyepi. But exactly what is Nyepi? It is the first day of the Saka calendar year and is also Bali’s day of silence. Understanding the Balinese Calendars Bali’s measure of
Tumpek Kandang: The Holy Day for Animals
Tumpek Kandang is a day dedicated to Sang Hyang Rare Angon, the god of all cattle and livestock. On this day, domesticated animals on the island will receive great attention; the cows are washed in the river and dressed up like human beings, with special cone-shaped spirals made of coconut leaf placed on their horns.
Ngaben: The Balinese Cremation Ceremony
For the Balinese, and from their spiritual perspective, death is no less essential to life, for it’s part of a continuous cycle: Birth-life-death. And just like celebrating birth and life, a ceremony will also be performed to send the dead through the transition to the next life (reincarnation). The Balinese cremation ceremony, called Ngaben or
Tumpek Landep: Bali Blesses its Metals
If you find yourself in Bali on the day called Tumpek Landep, you will be surprised to see offerings put on cars, motorbikes, machines and metal instruments of all types. For which purpose, you will certainly wonder? So let us explain it to you. Tumpek Landep is the day dedicated to metal in the 210-day
Understanding Hari Saraswati, Bali’s Day of Knowledge
The Balinese-Hindu have a day dedicated to the goddess of knowledge, Saraswati. She is said to rule over books, lontar manuscripts and all objects of knowledge. On her festival day, all these objects may not be used, as they are presented with offerings. The ritual is done in one’s private house for one’s own books,
The Bali Bombings: A Balinese-Hindu Philosophical Perspective
Every year, on the 12 of October we in Bali remember the horrors of the Bali Bombing in 2002. How many react to the memory is sadly with the typical anger fostered by our cultural and political obsession – i.e. the contemporary fear of extremism – as well as a deep mourning for those lost.
Melasti: Island-Wide Purification
One of the precursors to Nyepi is the melasti ceremony, also known as ‘melis’. Whilst just as visually extravagant as a piodalan temple ceremony, melasti is of incredible importance to the annual (and sometimes more) rites of the Balinese Hindu. During this ceremony, lines and lines of local Hindus will journey to the sea or
The Ogoh-Ogoh Monsters of Bali’s Ngrupuk Parade
Bali’s Ogoh-Ogoh Parade is a stunning display of Balinese creativity and culture rolled into one. As a ‘Pre-Nyepi’ festivity, these giant demonic effigies are ceremoniously carried and displayed during the Ngrupuk Parade. Let’s start with Nyepi. Catur Brata Penyepian, otherwise known as Nyepi, marks the first day of the new Çaka Calendar year. The Çaka calendar
Hari Raya Galungan: When Good Triumphs Over Evil
Galungan is one of the most important ceremonies on the Balinese calendar. The exact dates of this auspicious day are calculated through the 210-day Balinese calendar, where the Galungan period will last 10 days. You’ll know when Galungan is coming a few days, or even weeks before it actually arrives as the whole island is
Melaspas : Bali’s House Blessing Ceremony
It seems there is a ceremony for everything in Bali! Another ceremony you’ll find on the Island of the Gods is a house blessing ceremony, known locally as Melaspas. This involves a priest, prayers and offerings that will cleanse every corner of the house and its compound. The Melaspas ceremony is mandatory before moving into
Rules of Balinese Temples : The Do’s and Dont’s
Bali’s temples and holy sites are without a doubt one of the biggest pulls to the island. However, it must be remembered that these are still places of worship. So, whilst by all means you should go and appreciate the beautiful places around the island we thought we’d share the rules of Balinese temples, a