All
of us at PT. Bali Affordable Lifestyles International, PT. Bali
Luxury Villas & Best Bali Real Estate wish all Hindus throughout Indonesia and Bali a very
Happy Galungan dan Kuningan.
This week Hindus throughout Indonesia will celebrate the beginning of the scared 10 day holiday period of Galungan and Kuningan.
What is Galungan:
Galungan is the most important feast for Balinese Hindus, a celebration to honor the creator of the universe (Ida Sang Hyang Widi) and the spirits of the honored ancestors.
The
festival symbolizes the victory of good (Dharma) over evil (Adharma),
and encourages the Balinese to show their gratitude to the creator and
sainted ancestors.
Offerings to the Ancestors:
Galungan
occurs once in the 210-day cycle of the Balinese calendar and marks the
time of the year when the spirits of the ancestors are believed to
visit the earth.
Balinese Hindus perform rituals that are meant to welcome and entertain these returning spirits.
The
house compounds that make up the nucleus of Balinese society come alive
with devotions offered by the families living within.
Families offer
bountiful sacrifices of food and flowers to the ancestral spirits,
expressing gratitude and hopes for protection.
These sacrifices are also offered at local temples, which are packed with devotees bringing their offerings.
Intensive Preparations:
The preparations for Galungan begin several days before the actual feast day.
Three days before Galungan -
"Penyekeban" - families begin their preparations for Galungan.
"Penyekeban" literally means "the day to cover up ", as this is the day
when green bananas are covered up in huge clay pots to speed their
ripening.
Two days before Galungan - "Penyajahan" - marks a time of introspection for Balinese, and more prosaically, a time to make the Balinese cakes known as jaja.
These colored cakes made of fried rice dough are used in offerings and are also eaten especially on Galungan. This time of the year finds a glut of Jaja in every village market.
Tuesday Nov. 9th.
The Day Before Galungan - "Penampahan", or slaughter day - Balinese slaughter the sacrificial animals that will go into the temple or altar offerings.
Galungan is marked by the sudden surplus of traditional Balinese food, like lawar (a spicy pork and coconut sauce dish) and satay.
Galungan Day Wed. Nov 10 th:
On Galungan day itself, Balinese devotees pray at the temples and make their offerings to the spirits.
Manis Galungan Thurs. Nov 11Th.
The day after Galungan, Balinese visit their kinfolk and closest friends.
Ngelawang - Dance of the Barong
During Galungan, a ceremony known as Ngelawang is performed in the villages. Ngelawang is an exorcism ceremony performed by a "barong" - a divine protector in the form of a mythical beast.
The
barong is invited into houses as he makes his way through the village.
His presence is meant to restore the balance of good and evil in a
house.
The residents of the house will pray before the dancing barong, who will afterwards give a piece of his fur as a keepsake.
After the Barong pays a visit, it is important to make an offering of a canang sari containing money.
Kuningan - Sat. Nov 20 th.
The tenth day after Galungan - "Kuningan" - marks the end of Galungan, and is believed to be the day when the spirits ascend back to heaven. On this day, Balinese make special offerings of yellow rice.
A Treat for the Senses:
While
the actual festivities are open to Balinese only, tourists who visit
Bali during this holiday get an eyeful of the local color.
It
isn't every day you see richly-dressed women crossing the street to
make food offerings to the local temple - and there's something festive
about the penjor swaying in the wind everywhere you look!
During
Galungan, some local restaurants ride the rising demand for Balinese
food by offering specials on all sorts of native dishes.
This is a great
time to try Balinese food for the first time!
You might want to reserve a Bali Luxury Villa in Bali early for these days, as holiday-goers from all over are making Galungan plans of their own!
Luxurious Villas & Estate in Sanur and area starting at only Rp 108,000 (U.S. $8.00) per guest.
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