For auspicious and holy hindu ceremonies, the balinese decorate their temple compunds with colorful umbrellas. In the Balinese dialect this umbrellas are known as “Tedung“, which literally means “to guard”. The umbrellas are used in ceremonial parades and positioned around the compounds in alignment to various shrines that orientated towards the sacred mountain of Gunung Agung. The colors of the umbrellas used are normally symbolic of whatever ceremony is taking place. the most typical are shades of bright yellow and white, which are pure colors that reflect dedication to the Hindu and religion and manifestation of God.
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If you’re vacationing in bali I highly recommend that you go out of your way to experience a Temple Festival. A Traditional Balinese Temple Festival is something you won’t soon forget, and there’s a very good chance you’ll be the only foreigner in attendance… just make sure you wear your best temple-dress, or you probably won’t be allowed in. and for women make sure you are not in menstruation.
Continue reading ‘January - March 2008 temple anniversary festival.’
Westerners open the New Year in revelry, however, in contrast, the Balinese open their New Year in silence. This is called Nyepi Day, the Balinese day of Silence, which falls on the day following the dark moon of the spring equinox, and opens a new year of the Saka Hindu era which began in 78 A.D.
Nyepi is a day to make and keep the balance of nature. It is based on the story of when King Kaniska I of India was chosen in 78 A.D. The King was famous for his wisdom and tolerance for the Hinduism and Buddhism societies. In that age, Aji Saka did Dharma Yatra (the missionary tour to promote and spread Hinduism) to Indonesia and introduce the Saka year.
The lead up to Nyepi day is as follows: Continue reading ‘Nyepi Day, Bali Hindu New year’
January is an important month in Bali: Galungan officially begins 23 January, but preparations start early. Galungan, one of Bali’s major festivals, celebrates the return of Balinese gods and deified ancestors to Bali. For ten days, Balinese families entertain and welcome with prayers, offerings and ceremonies to cleanse and balance the inner and outer energy on the island.
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The Galungan celebration begins! While the holiday itself does not start until 23 January, there are ceremonies, not to mention sales at most major department stores, leading up to the festival itself……
Continue reading ‘January 08 Event (galungan)’
There are ceremonies for every stage of Balinese life but often the last ceremony, cremation is the biggest. A Balinese cremation (ngaben) can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organize a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried. Of course an auspicious day must be chosen for the cremation and since a big cremation can be very expensive business many less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation and sending their own dead on their way at the same time.
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The temple is certainly the most important institution on the island and the clearest illustration of the spirit of the Balinese religion. There are temples everywhere, from the modest family shrines in every household, to the extravagant temples of the princes and great town temples; large or small, plain or richly carved temples found in the rice fields, in the cemeteries, in the markets, on the beaches, in caves, on deserted hill tops and even on the barren rocks along the coastline.
The Balinese temple is a sacred space in which the deities are honored with rituals and offerings. Whether a simple enclosure with only one or two tiny shrines, or an elaborate complex with scores of sacred structures, the basic function of each temple is the same - to serve as a site where the Balinese pay reverence to the spiritual powers that play such a large role in their lives.
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