Villa Ramadewa
December 28th, 2011
Chai Villa
December 23rd, 2011
Bahagia
December 22nd, 2011
Alice 2
December 9th, 2011
Religious Festivals in Bali
The people of Bali are largely Hindus but the type of Hinduism practiced by them is vastly different from what is practiced in India. They worship the same gods as the Hindus in India - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and the supreme god, Sanghyang Widi.
The Balinese also believe in the omnipresence of spirits, both benevolent and the wicked and this is greatly reflected in their religious practices. For them, the good spirits reside in the mountains and bring peace and prosperity, while the wicked spirits reside in the sea are responsible for all the ills that befall the people. The rituals practiced by the Balinese aim at paying homage to the good ones and placating the evil ones.
Melasti Festival
Held one day before the Nyepi festival, the celebrations are aimed at driving away the evil spirits from the island. The day begins with ceremonies called the pratima held across the island. Later in the afternoon, men dressed in their traditional finery gather together and play Balinese instruments. The locals make offerings to the ogoh-ogoh, a monster doll. In the evenings, the people lift the doll and take it around the village a few times. When it gets dark, the doll is burnt. The people also burn torches, bonfires and make a lot of noise to drive away the evil spirits. This is then followed by feasts and revelries.
Nyepi Festival
This is the major religious festival of Bali, which usually falls at the end of March or early April. Nyepi marks the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one according to the Balinese' calendar, saka, based on the lunar cycle. The day of Nyepi officially lasts for 24 hours, beginning from 6 am in the morning. The day is meant for self-introspection and people stay indoors. The day is marked by complete inactivity so that the evil spirits think that Bali is deserted and leave the island for the year.
With a few exceptions, mainly the emergency services such as hospitals, all activities come to a halt. Even tourists are not allowed out and so if you are staying in a vacation villa, do remember to keep stocks in advance to see you through the day.
Odalan
The festival of Odalan signifies the anniversary of a temple's founding. The festivities last a couple of days to a week and during this period temples are beautifully decorated with flowers, palm leaves, flags and bamboo towers. Parades, food offerings, prayers and dances add to the festive note.
Galungan
Galungan is a ten day festival when lots of activities take place in the home and community temples of the people of Bali. This Bali holiday occurs once in every 210 days and marks the beginning of one of the most important religious ceremonies in Bali. Balinese believe that during the Galungan period, the ancestors of their families descend to the earth and they must be suitably welcomed with prayers and offerings made in both the family and village temples. Most people return to their ancestral homes during this period. The last day of the festival is the Kuningan.