Balinesse Ceremony and Ritual

There are many ceremonies and rituals in Bali.

• Galungan and Kuningan

Galungan is the day when the victory of Dharma or Justice and Truth wins over Adharma. It is when the family ancestors descended in the family, temples, brought there to see the curve of long bamboo pole (Penjor) that stand in front of every house Balinese. For ten days, the ancestors are fetus in the family temples; many temple festivals occur in this time of year and there is a big party. On the last day, Kuningan, the ancestors are seen with a barrage of offers of yellow and yellow rice.

• Nyepi

Nyepi is annual purification in the Hindu-Balinese New Year, determined by the lunar cycle Caka calendar. Nyepi is usually celebrated at the beginning of the tenth month or Balinese in late March or early April.
In the afternoon people leave their houses carrying Ogoh Ogoh, a large puppet representing an evil. Everyone is making so much noise as possible to frighten evil, so as to flee as far as possible from Bali. This is the only place in the world where the government will shut down an airport for meditation & introspection. On Nyepi day, EVERYONE will stay in their family compounds (or hotels) and silence will overcome the island. There are no cars, no tv's or loud radios, no lamps or fires and no airplanes overhead.

• Saraswati

According to Balinese Hindu belief, knowledge is vital to achieve the goal of life as a human being. This day is celebrated in Bali Saraswati, a special day dedicated to the Goddess of learning, science and literature. Saraswati standards intellectual and creative realm, and is the patron of libraries and schools. For Balinese Hindus, which is celebrated as she managed to tame wandering lujurioso account and his consort, Brahma, which was concerned with the goddess of material existence, Shatarupa. On this day nobody is allowed to read or write, and offerings are made to the Lontar (palm-leaf script), books and shrines.

Saraswati Day is celebrated every 210 days in Saniscara Umanis Wuku Watugunung and marks the beginning of the new year according to the Balinese calendar Pawukon. Ceremonies and prayers are held at temples in the family compound, villages and businesses from morning until noon. The prayers are also held in school temples. Teachers and students leave their uniforms for the day instead of bright and colorful ceremony gear, filling the island with color! Children bring fruit and traditional cakes to school for tenders in the temple.