Calendar of Events

Galungan is the day people celebrate the victory of Good (Dharma) over Evil (Adharma). It is the first day of a festive period lasting ten days, culminating in Kuningan. Penjor or heavily decorated bamboo poles brighten the streets across the island. Stuck at every house entrance, they adorn both sides of the village roads. They symbolize prosperity and the Mahameru or World Mountain, which is Mt Agung in Bali. Galungan marks the start of a period when the ancestral spirits and Gods come down from their heavenly dwellings to reside for a while with the humans.

One of the six major Temple in Bali, the sad Khayangan Agung Lempuyang Luhur, that it is the place for Hyang Iswara and Hyang Agni Jaya. The word Lempuyang is derived from 2 words “Lampu” which means light and “Hyang” which means God therefore the meaning of Lempuyang is Light of God. Pura Luhur Lempuyang is one of Bali`s nine main temples and is of great significance for the Balinese culture and religion. It known as The Temple of 1000 steps which entire temple complex consists of seven temples the highest is at 1,058 meters high and once you manage to come up it gives picturesque view of the surrounding forest and mountains.

A traditional bull race from century’s tradition held once a year to celebrate the end of the rice harvest. In the race, a jockey stands on a wooden plough loosely tied to a pair of bulls and holds them by their tails while the bulls cover about 60–250 meters (200–820 ft) of muddy track in a rice field. Although the name means a "bull race", the bulls do not directly compete against each other, and no formal winner is declared. Instead, spectators judge the bulls by their performance (mostly their speed and their ability to run straight) and may buy well-performing bulls at well above their usual price.

The oldest of these is Pura Sada, the name Ssada may derive from the Old Javanese and Sanskrit term prasada, meaning a tower temple, a huge shrine in the shape of a tiered tower. The local inhabitants call this temple a candi, meaning a funerary monument for a deceased king. According to the chronicles of the rulers of Mengwi, the son of the first Cokorda or Lord of Mengwi, I Gusti Agung Panji, received a shrine in this temple after his death around 1710. The divinity of the temple is Bhatara Jayengrat, the Divine World Conqueror.

Welcoming ceremony, a procession held from Denpasar to Sakenan Temple. This temple is estimated to have been established in the 16th century and is connected with the journey of Dang Hyang Nirartha, a great priest who purified the Hindu religion in Bali.

Beginning of 2020, Chinese New Year became a national holiday in Indonesia known locally as Imlek. For a long while, Indonesia outlawed all celebrations of a Chinese character. However, now Imlek incorporates customs, beliefs, and practices brought to Indonesia by Chinese immigrants who still follow the traditions handed down from their parents. It is common to exchange gifts during this festive period, so many ethnic-Chinese go on a buying frenzy in preparation for the gift exchange. The present and its value depend on the social status of the giver and the receiver. Costly or exotic foods or specially prepared food that has some symbolic meaning are common gifts. Paper decorations are also bought to decorate the house. Pictures of ripe fruit or healthy smiling babies are standard. Banners with gold Chinese lettering on bright red backgrounds are sold. They express wishes for good fortune, long life, and many friends. Classically they would be poetic in composition. Indonesian Chinese families consume lots of food during the New Year celebration, more than at any other holiday. As it is considered bad luck to cook on New Year`s Day itself, food is prepared the day before. Chinese believe that what you do on New Year`s Day will reflect on your life in the coming year, so most housewives do not want to take a chance of being `chained to the oven`. A large number of traditional dishes symbolize abundance and wealth for the household. One required dish is a whole fish. Fish in Chinese is `yu`, which sounds similar to the word meaning surplus or abundance. Families will usually serve an entire fish as this represents family togetherness. Oysters are also a favorite. In Cantonese, the word oyster sounds like the word that means `good business.` In Cantonese, shrimp is pronounced `ha`, which to the Chinese sounds like laughter, so it is also often included. Clams are another favorite, as they open up when cooked, symbolizing the opening of new horizons. Family members stay up late playing games, drinking wine, singing, joking, and telling stories. They strive to make the evening happy in hopes of setting the pattern for the incoming year. Visitors to Indonesia throughout this period gaze at festively decorated Chinese temples across the country. The Barongsai, a sizeable dragon-like puppet, often appears in the streets of Chinese neighborhoods. Manned by three or four dancers, they place a spectacular and acrobatic accent on the festive mood. In Bali, many ethnic Chinese visit local klentengs or Chinese temples to burn incense, paper money, and have their fortunes predicted for the new year that lays ahead.

Taman Ayun mean beautiful garden which is suitable for everybody. Local history, Babad Mengwi says: I Gusti Agung Putu the king of Mengwi was successful to reign some surrounding regions. For the memory he ordered his people to build a new city/ kingdom and temple (Taman Ayun). Formerly was Bekak city changed to be Mengwi 1634 AD. There are many shrines with multy roofts we call it Meru dedicated to the supreme God with its manifestation, deities of mountains and ancestors.

Every region in Bali has its uniqueness. The residents of Timbrah, for instance, organize a so-called Ngusaba Dalem, a ceremonial occasion on which virtually all households of the village offer at least one roasted suckling pig. It is a ritual held in the eighth month based on the Balinese calendar and usually falls around January-February. The myriad of roasted pigs put into offering reflects the togetherness of the villagers. If poor villagers could not offer roasted pigs, then `the haves` would share their roasted pig after being submitted to the Gods. The actual purpose of the Ngusaba Dalem ritual was to worship the Goddess Durga to invoke welfare and safety for the village and its people.

Pura Penataran Sasih is still one of the more traditional temples, prescribing a compulsory sarong and sash. Balinese people believe it to be a particularly sacred temple, because this is the home of the so-called Moon of Pejeng hence the epithet, Moon Temple. The `moon` in question, is a large bronze gong, shaped almost like an hourglass, suspended so high up in its special tower that you can hardly see the decorations scratched onto its surface. It probably dates from the Balinese Bronze Age, from some time during the third century BC, and at almost 2m long is thought to be the largest such kettledrum ever cast. Etched into its green patina are a chain of striking heart-shaped faces punctured by huge round eyes. Legend tells how the gong was once the wheel of a chariot that transported the moon through the skies. The wheel shone just as brightly as the moon itself and, when it fell out of the sky and got stuck in a tree in Pejeng, a local thief became so incensed by its incriminating light that he tried to extinguish it by urinating over it. The wheel exploded, killing the thief, and then dropped to the ground. Ever since, the Balinese have treated the Moon of Pejeng as a sacred object.

Nyepi signals the Icaka New Year 1943. It is a day of absolute silence for Hindu followers. No activity or entertainment of any form is allowed. No fire is lit along the day and night. Nyepi marls a day of fasting and self-introspection for the Hindu Balinese. The observance is so strict that even the Internet, radio, and TV signals are switched off. No international flights are allowed to land or depart during 24 hours. The whole island remains eerie silent, and completely dark at night. Even the street lighting is extinguished.

The renowned temple of Besakih is built against the southern slope of Gunung Agung, a violent yet sacred mountain for the Balinese. A sprawling complex of shrines, dedicated to an unknown number of gods, constitutes the religious center of Bali. On ominous days, Besakih brims with colorful activity. Row after row, women climb the temple stairs, proudly carrying a heavy load of flower and fruit offerings. They are meant to stabilize the Universe or to finalize a complicated religious ceremony. Besakih and surroundings can easily be described as the holiest place on the island, covering an extended religious patchwork of shrines and temples, dedicated to kings and Gods. At any given time, you`ll walk together with numerous pilgrims as every Balinese is required to pay homage several times throughout the year.

Eid Al-Fitr also called the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.

A very unique tradition which is only held in Samuan Tiga Temple in Bedulu village. This yearly ceremony held as a part of a temple ceremony which falls on the full moon or Purnama in the month of Jyestha according to Balinese calendar. Siat Sampian came from Balinese language Siat means war and Sampian is a form of young coconut leaf which is formed into an ornament which is use during temple ceremony. Among all who attend the ceremony, there are hundreds of men and only 35 women chosen as participants through a sacred ceremony called mapekeling. The chosen ladies are called Jero Permas, while the choosen men are called Jero Parekan. Each contestant tries to strike each other by Sampian. If one can strike their counterpart three times, one wins. The procession also involves circumambulating the temple 11 times while carrying the Sampians. The meaning of Siat Sampian is to calm negative characters inside oneself. By expressing one’s emotion through games and fun activities, their emotion will be directed into a positive way. Each human has hidden emotion, and by expressing it with war arts, such emotion would gradually diminish in a beautiful way.

Gawai Dayak is a part ceremony and part celebration with great religious and social significance. It is held yearly by the indigenous people of Indonesian Borneo, appeals to the imagination of every righteous traveller. This festival is one of the best times of the year to visit. Attendees are welcome to observe traditional dances, spirit-appeasing rituals, cooking, musical performances, and blow-pipe competitions. It is not unusual to see how a shaman goes into a trance when trying to communicate with the world of the spirits. On several occasions, the Dayak dwellings, the famous longhouses, will be opened for visitors. Often guests will be served with tuak, an alcoholic beverage made of fermented rice, yeast, and sugar and drank in parts of Indonesia. The Gawai Dayak festival may last up to several days, with visitors being welcomed to the homes of the Dayaks throughout the festival. It is also this time of year that many Dayak weddings take place, as it is rare for all community members to assemble at the longhouse at one time.

The ancient and much revered Pura Kehen, 1.500m north of the town of Bangli, rises up steeply from the road in terraces lined with religious statues. Sporting several remarkably fierce Bhoma leering above fabulously carved doors, the great entrance leads into the outer courtyard containing a massive banyan tree with a kulkul tower built among the branches. A small compound, guarded by naga under a frangipani tree, contains a stone that is supposed to have glowed with fire when the site of the temple was decided. Steps lead up to the middle courtyard, from where you can look into the inner courtyard, with its eleven-roofed meru dedicated to Siwa. The word `kehen` is derived from "keren" meaning `flame`.

Derived from the Balinese word kepung, meaning `chase`, Makepung Lampit is a traditional Balinese water buffalo race, held in Jembrana, West Bali. A legacy of the area`s cultural tradition, lampit refers to a traditional rice plow tool, pulled by a pair of water buffaloes. The lampit is traditionally used to flatten muddy wet fields. Once the fields are flattened, the rice planting can begin. A twist on the regular Makepung bull races, the Makepung Lampit Race is held in wetlands on a straight race track of about 100 meters in a water-filled field. Inspired by Balinese agricultural traditions, Makepung Lampit exemplifies gotong royong, where everyone helps one other for the same communal purpose. In the villages, everyone contributes to the land leveling process to prepare for the rice planting season. This tradition led to initiating the Makepung Lampit. Early in the last century, Makepung Lampit was very popular, but the tradition almost disappeared. Only in the last few years have the authorities of Jembrana revived the tradition after decades of hiatus. Now once a year, Makepung Lampit is held at the end of the dry season.

It honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to God`s command. Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, Allah provided a lamb to sacrifice instead. In commemoration of this intervention, an animal (usually a sheep) is sacrificed ritually.

Every village in Bali as minimum three temple for territorial temple. Pura Puseh, where the founders of the village are worshiped, always lies in the Kaja sphere, towards the mountains, so it lies on the highest spot in the village; Lord Brahma the Creator, resides there. Pura Desa, the village temple, is built in the center of the village, where Lord Wisnu, the maintainer, is worshipped, because in Pura Desa the activities of the village manifest to maintain the welfare of the village and its inhabitants.

Ulun Danu sits at the shores of Lake Bratan, the source of water for a large part of the island. It effortlessly combines Hindu and Buddhist elements into a unique sample of Balinese temple architecture The location on the shore of the giant lake effectively filling a crater formed thousands of years ago by a seismic blast of an extinct volcano, is significant. The lake supplies most of the drinkable water to large areas of Bali. Dense pine forests tumble down the slopes of Mount Bratan to the calm shoreline dotted with holy shrines.

Naturally, on this day, independence from colonial rule is celebrated throughout the archipelago. In the days running up to the 17th of August, people will march on public roads in a show of proud nationalism. There are many sports-like competitions for children from kindergarten to students from the university. The most solemn ceremony is the flag hoisting at the National Palace, televised live. Full of pomp and circumstance and conducted the same way each year, it is a spectacle of tremendous respect and honour for the flag and the Republic of Indonesia. The ceremonies are led by the President and Vice President and attended by the cabinet, military brass, family members of the current and preceding president, diplomatic corps, and honored guests. High School students from throughout the archipelago are chosen for their marching skills and put on a show of intricate steps, and turn to hoist the flag. The military is out with all its brass in high shine, standing smartly at attention in their dress uniforms. While the solemn ceremonies are taking place, neighbourhoods gear up for fun and games for the kids. Krupuk or shrimp chips eating contests, bike decorating, games, races, and lots of joy fill the day. The women are busy trying cooking contests to see who can make the biggest krupuk or the most delicious nasi tumpeng, a rice-shaped cone. One of the most popular games is the Panjat Pinang. An Areca palm trunk is erected in a public area and well greased with a mixture of clay and oil. At the top are hung various prizes like bikes and TVs. Whoever makes it to the top wins the award. Needless to say, there are a lot of slippery, muddy kids and grownups alike climbing over each other and struggling to reach the goal. A good time is had by all, especially the crowd watching the gaiety.

Most denominations of Islam approve of the commemoration of Muhammad`s birthday. Mawlid is recognized as a national holiday in most of the Muslim-majority countries of the world except for Saudi Arabia and Qatar which are officially Wahhabi-Salafi. Some non-Muslim majority countries with large Muslim populations such as India also recognize it as a public holiday.

Pulaki Temple is located in Banyupoh Village, just beyond the eastern edge of Pemuteran and 53km west of Singaraja. The stark charcoal-grey stone of the 16th century temple Pura Agung Pulaki peers down from a weatherworn cliff face, making a good viewpoint over the northwest coast. It is situated on a hill that is only 25m away from the beach an inhabited by monkeys which are considered as the descendants of Dewa or the Gods. Pura Pulaki is one of the highest sad kahyangan temples, giving orientation to all Balinese.