Odalan: Happy Birthday Pura Desa Ubud (or do these Balinese know how to party)

Gambling anyone?  this is actually in the temple (sacred takes many forms)

Four days of Partying!  Non-stop!  The streets of Ubud were shut down during the evening so that the People could take to the streets.  It is odalan, the Pura Desa (village temple) Birthday.  Every 210 days (Hindu calendar) there are major celebrations with many many dance performances and music + Gambling!  Every temple in every village is celebrated, but individual human birthdays are not, except infants.
A real carnival atmosphere by the 4th evening.

the ever present barong- friendly spirit/protector

part of the gamelan- flute players

entrance to temple

A huge rainstorm started on the second evening (I was absent on the first evening because i was Pooped ; I had volunteered at the Bumi Sehat (woman's clinic) all day by helping the acupuncturist.  I also witnessed "cupping".
I "lit women up" by inserting cardboard conductors onto the needles and then a "punk" to create fire.  Ergo: heat.  This was way beyond my comfort zone........ but luckily "i did no harm")

children of every age accompany their parents

 There is always a procession to mark the beginning of any upacara (ceremony). In the downpour there are still thousands of people dressed in their finery, carrying HUGE offerings (banten) of pyramids of fruit, cakes and incense- the women always look amazing, balancing it all effortlessly, often an infant in their arms,slippery and wretched footing in high heeled sandals.  Try that!

Legong dance with prepubescent girls

 The mothers are Always hovering (in Ubud).  Helping their girls prepare for the dances, encouraging them.  The dance before had little girls 3-5 years of age and the mothers' didn't want to let go, and the little ones didn't want to be away from their mothers.  They were completely costumed and made-up in heavy makeup.  It reminded me of all those years of Diandra performing ballet.  Mothers will be mothers......everywhere.

sorry the photos are so poor.....  the rain.... and i am definitely ready for an upgraded camera

this little cutie probably just turned 1

yes they TEXT non-stop.  the only light often lighting up the street was each person's cell

a small cast of thousands on Jalan Suweta watching dance

Each night i would attend for 4-5 hours.(in my own temple garb which means long sleeves).... standing, in the heat and being besieged by the smoke of cigarettes (usually the clove ones do not bother me). Exhilarating! It's tight quarters..... pressed against the crowd....... and i was exhausted...... yet i would find out from Nyoman the next morning that it went on until 5 am.  The procession would go on into all the small villages ,with the men in trance.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

The most famous dance of the last night of celebrating is the Calonarang.  i had seen part of this in Paksabali (the trance ceremony).  It is a dance of the forces of evil and the forces of good.   Everything in Bali is played off this trope.  They feel it is always a balance to be reckoned with, whether it is a dispute between family members in a compound, a naughty child or warring factions.  They try and keep the dark (black magic) sequestered/controlled in the background.  But most importantly they recognize it's importance and presence a necessity of life.
The Calonarang features the Barong (good)and the Rangda (the bad).  It features a dance of a duel between the followers of the Barong with their Kris (traditional dagger).
The Rangda casts a spell and they all fall into trance, making them Stab themselves.  The Barong casts another spell to neutralize the harm.  But the powerful black magic is further nullified by carrying the men in trance back into the temple and the Priest who must end their trance by ritual blood sacrifice (this is when i disappear).
On this evening to further purify they take a huge procession  (Barong) to other villages and perform rites of purification.  This is a lot of men being carried in trance.....i just heard  about this from Nyoman as by midnight i was hauling my tired body up Jalan Bisma...... looking forward to the quietude of the rice paddies, the cool breezes wafting and My Pillow!



travelin' woman