The gods are on their way

On Wednesday the gods and the spirits of the ancestors will descend from the mountain and so begins the biggest celebration on the Balinese calendar. You know that Galungan is near when the beautifully decorated penjors appear outside every dwelling on the island. For weeks we have noticed small trucks carrying extremely long bamboo poles, which will become these penjors, and many tiny shops have sprung up along the road selling decorations.

Shops and some restaurants will soon close - some for just a couple of days, some for the full 10 days until Kuningan heralds the end of the festivities and the gods go back to the mountain. We leave on Saturday so will miss some of the fun. Bad planning on our part, but as our visas will expire, sadly we cannot stay longer.

Rather than paraphrase the many articles that explain the significance of Galungan and Kuningan, the links will give more detail, and this recent article from the Jakarta Times explains the importance of a celebration where cost is no object, even to the poorest families.

We are honoured to have been invited into a Balinese compound on Wednesday to join the family for the afternoon. Honour is combined with anxiety. What do you wear? Bring? This particular compound houses 27 people across five generations. We have the right garments: I will wear kamben, kebaya and sash while Eddie will add a jacket and saput to his kamben and on his head wear a udeng. Diagram here and Murni explains Balinese dress in more detail here. As for bringing, we are assured that nothing is required on the day (which feels odd) but a gift of fruit on Monday that can be used for offerings would be appreciated. It can't just be any fruit though, we need to look for beautiful apples and oranges and grapes would be a bonus. So that is tomorrow's task.

Those who have been granted the full holiday are heading back to their families to help with preparations, but even those who are working will try and return for even a short time on the day. An indication of the importance of the family temple is one young man we know who works in Ubud, but whose family is more than four hours away by motorbike on the west coast. On two consecutive days last week he finished work at around 5pm, rode the four hours home, spent an hour at the temple, then rode back to Ubud ready to work again. Something very important was happening that he could not miss so there is no doubt that he will be home for Galungan. This is also the holiday when workers can expect an extra half month's wages to help with the heavy costs of the celebrations.

Galungan and Kuningan was last celebrated in March, according to the 210-day calendar, so it will next occur in May 2014. We plan to be here for the full 10 days. It feels incomplete to be leaving this time before the gods have ascended the mountain again.

Selamat Hari Raya Galungan dan Kuningan.

More on ceremonies

Some additional comments about ceremonies.

On the way home from our Seminyak weekend on Sunday, we passed an enormous gathering in the village of Lotunduh. Everyone looked extra smart, especially the women, who all wore headbands, their hair done in a particular way, a white lace kebaya and a yellow sash. This is the best I could do from the car and we are still not sure what it was about.

On Sunday evening we became aware of something else going, on fairly close by, that went into the early hours. It wasn't the usual chanting, but more a commentary by various voices, male and female, over a loudspeaker. We found out the next morning that this was one of the final ceremonies for the cremation that we watched a few weeks ago. The families were speaking for their loved ones before the ashes are taken to the river for their final journey to the sea, so that rebirth can occur.

There's something to learn every day.

Dark moon

Tonight is the dark moon, a magic night. Fifteen days ago it was full moon and it will be again in another 15 days. So goes the cycle and predictability of Balinese life and with it the ceremonial obligations.

It has been a very busy time, particularly for the women who must make the appropriate offerings for each ceremony. It has been an auspicious time for the big events such as ngaben (cremation), but daily rituals, temple anniversaries, ceremonies as decreed in the calendar, including as tonight those associated with the moon, must be observed. Most people have been in temple dress today, including school children. If people have received a blessing with holy water they will have a few grains of rice on the forehead and throat to symbolise the cleansing of mind and body. I imagine the chanting and praying that I can hear as I write will go on well into the night, and that's certainly not a complaint.

Although many of the women we know are looking a bit tired after weeks of seemingly endless ceremonial business, they would never dream of buying offerings (which can be done - useful for hotels) as they believe that offerings made from the heart will mean much more to the relevant god or goddess. They are intricate, symbolic in content and very labour intensive, but the tradition and technique are still taught at school.  And in a few weeks the huge celebrations of Galungan and Kuningan will take place. During this major holiday time many businesses need to close to allow staff to return to their villages. None of it is lip service religion. It's been the Balinese way of life for centuries and amazingly survives despite enormous social and economic change.

But there's something to be said for a 365-day year. Our Western ceremonies and holidays seem to come around quickly enough. Imagine every 210 days. At least the Balinese haven't been caught up in consumerism. It's entirely about the worship, and there's something to be said for that too.

Image has come from the Go SE Asia website and used with thanks. I will link to the article which discusses the Balinese relationship with the universe as soon as I can.

Blessing

More than half a dozen topics are jostling for attention before we head to Amed for a couple of days next week. Rather than cram them into one long post, as I find time I will make a shortish, sharpish commentary for each. So watch this space. And again, thanks to those who do watch this space. I remain astonished and appreciative at the geography of the readership and the frequency of some visitors. Particularly those in California, where I know nobody. So thank you again, all readers - friends and family and those who drop by out of interest.

Only yesterday morning we mentioned that it was probably time to have the car washed again. We have been quite good about it, but not as good as the Balinese, who take huge pride in their sparkling vehicles.

Later in the afternoon, we received a call from Ketut. Could he borrow the car for a few hours on Saturday. It wouldn't inconvenience us as he'd use his spare key to pick it up about 6am and have it back by 9.

Saturday is Saniscara Kliwon Wuku Landep day (also known as Tumpek Landep), the day when Hindus make offerings and pray for safety from Ida Sang Hyang Pasupati, a god who is the owner of all tools made of metal. Including cars.

We did know this, and it had crossed our mind to ask the women here to include our car in their rituals on Saturday morning. But how much better that Ketut take it to his temple and have the car blessed by his priest.

So that is what will happen, and while I write this, Eddie is at the 'cuci mobil' having the car detailed and washed so that it meets Balinese standards of presentation for the ceremony.

And to be honest, we will drive to Amed on Monday, still 'hati hati di jalan'*, but safe in the knowledge that due respect has been paid in accordance with tradition.

The image has been borrowed from the Dasar Bali blog, which also explains more about this ceremony.

* take care on the road

Postscript:

The car was returned bearing offerings, as most cars and motorbikes on the road today did. We'll keep these on, for a while at least.

Full Moon

On Friday it was full moon. Which means ceremony. There are many reasons on Bali for a festival or ceremony, but as a bule you don't always know what they are. But a full moon is a full moon wherever you are on the planet. When you see truck loads of villagers and scooters loaded with family, including the baby, heading to the temples it's not hard to know what's happening.  All, men and women, are in beautiful traditional dress, which you can read about here. The only problem with Friday was that the afternoon rain, which usually clears before dark, didn't.  And it was torrential, so the villagers must have spent an uncomfortable time. When we arrived home from the Fly Cafe's quiz night (which our table won - all prizes alcoholic!) the drums continued beating well into the night, but the rain had stopped at about 8pm. In June we will ask our host if we can accompany his family to the temple for Full Moon - at the moment he is in Melbourne getting a fix of the cold, which he loves!

The moon is still spectacular. Last night we had a budget meal in a five-star setting on the verandah of Anhera as we watched the moon rise over the gorge. The budget was their Thai steamboat special - 3 courses for Rp 80000. I'll leave you to do the conversion. And we were the only diners! Unfortunately their website seems to be down, so I can't link, but trust me, it's lovely.


I didn't take the picture - it's from Wikipedia Commons.