this full moon will be at 14 october 2008, the best time to visit besakih tample, batur tample at kintamani. because there will be a caremony called piodalan. 

at this time there will be many balinese come there to pray. so prepare your camera or handycam.

Before the impact of tourism on Bali, tedung always associated with temple activities but as hotels were constructed in the characteristic of Balinese architecture, umbrellas became eye catching pieces for lobbies, gardens and dining areas.

The Village areas of klungkung and mengwi are well known in bali for their skills in the production of umbrellas and many families have set up home industries to meet the demand supply the entire island and for export.

umbrellas in Bali are entirely handmade and they are generally produced in bulk, as making a single item is too time consuming.

if you have interest in buying this traditional umbrellas, you can concat me for detail information.

and here is a guide for you, the list of temple you can visit and the date. this list is only for January until march 2008.

For January
22 January 2008. (Full Moon or We call it Purnama)
At full moon, many balinese hindu will visiting the temple to pray. but not all temple have their temple festival. Pura dalem di Batur in Bangli, Pura Pasek di Besakih and Pura Dalem Suci Sidemen – Karangasem, will have a temple festival at this date.

23 January 2008. (Galungan day)
At this day, balinese will celebrate the galungan day. this is the best time to visit the temple. almost all temple in bali will full with prayer.

24 January 2008.
Watukaru Temple at Tabanan. Lempuyang Temple at Karangasem.

February
3 February 2008
Sakenan temple at serangan island denpasar

6 February 2008
Tanah lot Temple at tabanan

10 February 2008
Agung Pentilan Temple at Kesiman denpasar. You must visit this temple because at this day they have special caremony called ngrebong, when a group of the temple adherents being in trance, stab themselve with Keris, the traditional dagger to indicate that the series of rituals have been in process accordingly.

Ngerobong on youtube, see it at 10 february 2008, don’t miss it

27 February 2008
Silayukti Temple at Padang bay

March
21 March 2008
Besakih Temple, at this time there will be a “bhatara turun kabe” caremony, Batur temple at kintamani bangli.

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:
Melasti or Mekiyis or Melis (three days before Nyepi)
Melasti is meant to clean the pratima or arca or pralingga (statue), with symbols that help to concentrate the mind in order to become closer to God. The ceremony is aimed to clean all nature and its content, and also to take the Amerta (the source for eternal life) from the ocean or other water resources (ie lake, river, etc). Three days before Nyepi, all the effigies of the Gods from all the village temples are taken to the river in long and colourful ceremonies. There, they have are bathed by the Neptune of the Balinese Lord, the God Baruna, before being taken back home to their shrines. for tourist, this is the time when you will see, the original balinese culture. take your camera with you.

Tawur Kesanga (the day before Nyepi)
Exactly one day before Nyepi, all villages in Bali hold a large exorcism ceremony at the main village cross road, the meeting place of demons. They usually make Ogoh-ogoh (the fantastic monsters or evil spirits or the Butha Kala made of bamboo) for carnival purposes. The Ogoh-ogoh monsters symbolize the evil spirits surrounding our environment which have to be got rid of from our lives .

The Ogoh-ogoh

The carnivals themselves are held all over Bali following sunset. Bleganjur, a Balinese gamelan music accompanies the procession. Some are giants taken from classical Balinese lore. All have fangs, bulging eyes and scary hair and are illuminated by torches.The procession is usually organised by the Seka Teruna, the youth organisation of Banjar. When Ogoh-ogoh is being played by the Seka Teruna, everyone enjoys the carnival. In order to make a harmonic relation between human being and God, human and human, and human and their environments, Tawur Kesanga is performed in every level of society, from the people’s house. In the evening, the Hindus celebrating Ngerupuk, start making noises and light burning torches and set fire to the Ogoh-ogoh in order to get the Bhuta Kala, evil spirits, out of our lives.

ogoh-ogoh video from youtube

Nyepi
On Nyepi day itself, every street is quiet – there are nobody doing their normal daily activities. There is usually Pecalangs (traditional Balinese security man) who controls and checks for street security. Pecalang wear a black uniform and a Udeng or Destar (a Balinese traditional “hat” that is usually used in ceremony). The Pecalangs main task is not only to control the security of the street but also to stop any activities that disturb Nyepi. No traffic is allowed, not only cars but also people, who have to stay in their own houses. Light is kept to a minimum or not at all, the radio or TV is turned down and, of course, no one works. Even love making, this ultimate activity of all leisure times, is not supposed to take place, nor even attempted. The whole day is simply filled with the barking of a few dogs, the shrill of insect and is a simple long quiet day in the calendar of this otherwise hectic island. On Nyepi the world expected to be clean and everything starts new, with Man showing his symbolic control over himself and the “force” of the World, hence the mandatory religious control.

As a visitor you are advised to respect this day. It is best to stay inside your hotel. The beaches, where many of the ceremonies take place, are closed off anyway. Also, don’t expect to fly or boat into the island: on Nyepi all points of entry, the seaports and even the airport are closed

Ngembak Geni (the day after Nyepi)
Ngembak is the day when Catur Berata Penyepian is over and Hindus societies usually visit to forgive each other and doing the Dharma Canthi. Dharma Canthi are activities of reading Sloka, Kekidung, Kekawin, etc.(ancient scripts containing songs and lyrics).
From the religious and philosophy point of view, Nyepi is meant to be a day of self introspection to decide on values, eg humanity, love, patience, kindness, etc., that should kept forever.

Balinese Hindus have many kind of celebrations (some sacred days) but Nyepi is, perhaps the most important of the island’s religious days and the prohibitions are taken seriously, particularly in villages outside of Bali’s southern tourist belt. Hotels are exempt from Nyepi’s rigorous practices but streets outside will be closed to both pedestrians and vehicles. So wherever you happen to be staying in Bali, this will be a good day to spend indoors. Indeed Nyepi day has made Bali a unique island.

Nyepi Day Quesetion and Answer
If you have any question on nyepi day, please leave a comment at form bellow.

# 16th
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……

# 17th
Sugian Jawa
The word jawa means ‘outside’) and refers to the environment of the individual human being. ….
# 18th
Sugian Bali – Kajeng Kliwon
In Sanskrit the word bali means ‘inner power’, which refers to the inner world of the individual

# 22nd
Full Moon (Purnama). Ceremonies are held throughout the island, including at Besakih, also known as the Mother Temple, this day also called “penampahan galungan”the day before galungan. if you visit bali this day, you will see every balinese hindu house will have a penjor at their entrance gate.

Penjor (photos from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Penjor.jpg)

# 23rd
Galungan, one of Bali’s major festivals, celebrates the return of Balinese gods and deified ancestors to Bali.

The tower is carried on the shoulders of a group of men, the size of the group depending on the importance of the deceased and hence the size of the tower. The funeral of a former rajah of high priest may require hundreds of men to tote the tower.

A long the way to the cremation ground certain precautions must be taken to ensure that the deceased’s spirit does not find its way back home. Loose spirits around the house can be a real nuisance. To ensure this doesn’t happen requires getting the spirits confused as to their whereabouts, which you do by shaking the tower, running it around in circles, spinning it around, throwing water at it, generally making the trip to the cremation ground anything but a stately funeral crawl.

Meanwhile, there’s likely to be a priest halfway up to tower, hanging on grimly as it sways back and forth, and doing his best to soak bystanders with holy water. A gamelan sprints along behind, providing a suitably exciting musical accompaniment. Camera-toting tourists get all but run down and once again the Balinese prove that ceremonies and religion are there to be enjoyed.

At the cremation ground the body is transferred to a funeral sarcophagus-this should be in the shape of a bull for a Brahmana, a winged lion for a Satria and a sort of elephant-fish for a Sudra. These days, however, almost anybody from the higher castes will use a bull. Finally up it all goes in flames-funeral tower, sarcophagus, body, the lot. The eldest son does his duty by poking through the ashes to ensures that there are bits of body left unburned.

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.

Balinese distinguish two important types. A sanggah (merajan in the refined language) refers to private or family temples, generally translated as “house temples.” Each family compound has one, containing shrines to the family’s deified ancestors (sanggah kamulan). Thus there are several hundred thousand house temples in Bali.

The other word for temple in Balinese is Pura, originally a Sanskrit term referring to town or palace. In Bali, the word Pura has come to refer to a temple in the public domain, generally located on public land.

Three village temples of special significance are the kahyangan tiga (“three sanctuaries”) Pura Puseh to adore God in His manifestation as Dewa Wisnu (Visnu), Pura Desa (Bale Agung) to adore God in His manifestation as Dewa Brahma, and Pura Dalem to adore God in His manifestation as Dewa Siwa (Siva). The function of Pura Kahyangan Tiga is to honor God in His manifestation as stuti/the creator (Dewa Brahma), as stiti/the protector (Dewa Wisnu) and as pralina/the destroyer (Desa Siwa). Pralina means every God’s creation will certainly die, soon or latter. Thus, Siva (Dewa Siwa) or Dewa Pralina is said to be the destroyer, in order to terminate the existence of every God’s creation. Pralina does not totally mean the destroyer. Thus, God veneration site in Kahyangan Tiga is to plead for to God in order that the human is born, lifes and dies naturally. To be born, live and die naturally is not at ease, thus human plead for God’s guidance in His manifestation as Dewa Tri Murti by adoring Him through Pura Kahyangan Tiga.

Ulun Danu Temple

The famous temple sites that tourists visit are regional or island-wide temples. These include the “Mother Temple” of Besakih, high up on the slopes of Mt. Agung, as well as the major temples of Ulun Danu (Batur), Lempuyang, Gua Lawah, Ulu Watu, Batukau, Pusering Jagat (Pejeng), Andakasa and Pucak Mangu. These are nearly all mountain or sea temples, marking the primary poles of the sacred landscape in Bali.

Tanah Lot Temple

Temple festivals are held according to one of two calendrical systems. When it appears on the 210-day wuku calendar, a festival is called an odalan; when it follows the lunar calendar, it is often referred to as an usaba. Various factors, such as local tradition and the size of the ritual, determine whether a festival is officiated by the temple’s own priest (Pemangku) or by a brahmana high priest (Pedanda).

With these offerings special prayers are said to pray to God so that these material things continue to be strong and bring good fortune upon their owners.

Within the family temples where heirlooms such as krisses (wavy double-bladed daggers) and other weapons are kept, offerings are made to ensure the continued magical power of these implements.

The kris is considered a standard part of traditional Balinese dress. During a wedding ceremony the groom will wear one across his back if the family has one, and you can see them on most of the male characters in Balinese dances, operas and dramas.

also today is Purnama (full moon) there are many Balinese will go to the temple at night. so this is the best time to visit temple if you want to know the culture. and don’t forget if you visit temple please wear a sarong. and respect local people.

The Gamelan
Balinese music is based around an instrument known as the gamelan. The gamelan is such a central part of Balinese music that the whole ‘orchestra’ is also referred to as a gamelan. Gamelan music is almost completely percussion. Though it sounds strange at first with its noisy, jangly percussion it’s exciting and enjoyable.
Kecak dance

Probably the best known of the many Balinese dances, the Kecak is also unusual in that it does not have a gamelan accompaniment. Instead the background is provided by a chanting ‘choir’ of men who provide the ‘chak-a-chak-a-chak’ noise.

Tourists especially enjoy the performance staged by the Kecak dancers. This dance is also deeply rooted in local tradition and Indian mythology and is inspired by Ramayana, Kecak dance an epic poem written in Sanskrit. The dance brings to life the tale of King Rama, his wife Dewi Sita and his brother Laksamana who were exiled to the forest for 14 years following some complex scheming in a struggle for power.

In the forest, they are persecuted by Rahwana, the ogre king who then abducts Dewi Sita and makes her a prisoner of his palace on the Island of Lanka (Ceylon) . Rama strikes an alliance with the monkey people whose army defeats Rahwana’s troups, making it possible for King Rama to rescue his wife. In each Kecak performance, a hundred or so dancers play the monkey army while a few female dancers are assigned specific roles (Dewi Sita, Trijata). The performance generally lasts one hour and takes place in the evening, preferably around 7 PM.

Kris Dance
In the Barong play, Bali’s mythical guardian, Barong, battles Rangda, the demon – Queen. barong’s supporters are a group of Balinese men with the natural ability to enter a trance state. They are armed with a kris ( traditional sword).

Rangda insults Barong and taunts the men enraged and in a trance they attack her! But her powers are so strong that they are knocked out. When they so distressed by their failure, they try to impale themselves on their kris. But their trance state amazingly protects them from injury.

Legong dance
It’s the most graceful of Balinese dances. A legong dancer is known as young girl, often as young as eight or nine years, rarely older than her early teens. There are various forms of the Legong but the Legong Kraton is the one most often performed.

Baris dance
The warrior dance, known as the Baris, is traditionally a male equivalent of the Legong femininity and grace give way to energetic and warlike martial spirit.
Ramayana Ballet Basically, it tells the same story of Rama and Sita as told in the Kechak but without the monkey ensemble and with a normal gamelan gong accompaniment.

Kebyar dance
It’s a male solo dance like the Baris but with greater emphasis on the performer’s individual abilities. There are various forms of Kebyar including the Kebyar Duduk and Kebyar Trompong.

Barong Landung
The giant puppet dance take place annually on the island of Pulau Serangan and a few other places in southern Bali.

Janger
The Janger is a relatively new dance which suddenly popped up in the ’20s and ’30s. Today it has become part of the standard repertoire and no longer looks so unusual.

Topeng
A mask dance where the dancers have to imitate the character represented by mask. A full collection of Topeng masks may number 30 or 40. Topeng dance Closely liriked to religious ceremonies and processions, and danced as a ritual interval, the Topeng dance ultimately takes on a sacred connotation.

As a matter of fact, foreigners are allowed to see the dance only if they behave appropriately and respectfully. Actually, some performances are staged only for the benefit of the tourists, but do not enjoy the same following of the Barong and Kecak dances. Perticular components of the Topeng dance are the masks used to hide the faces of the dancers. Specific attributes are used, instead, to identify the characters (a mustache and thick eyebrows for the elder, arrogance and defiance for Patih, and so on). The rhythm of movements (perfectly in accordance to the age and role of the character) is underscored by a large orchestra, the garnelan, which is essential for the success of the performance.

Jauk
Also a mask dance but strictly a solo performance.

Pendet
It’s an everyday dance of the temples, a small procedure to go through before making temple offerings.

Sanghyang (Fire Dance) Dance
The Sanghyang trance dance originally developed to drive out evil spirits from a village. The Sanghyang Dedari dance is performed by two young girls who dance a dream-like version of the Legong but with their eyes closed. The Sanghyang Jaran, a boy dances around and through a fire, riding a coconut palm hobby-horse. In both dances, a priest is always on hand to help bring the dancers out of their trance -state at the end of the performance..