It's Galungan- 2013

outside my cottage door

As Galungan occurs every 210 days, I am again fortunate to be able to experience its joy and its reflection on family and prayer.

Made, one of the neighborhood women who comes to make  our family's offerings

It is hard to convey just How Much Time is spent in preparation for these holidays.  I am still overwhelmed by the work that is done for weeks, if not months in advance.

a lamak all cut from bamboo + banana leaves

"Sebuk, sebuk sekali"- So Very Busy creating offerings, lamaks (detailed bamboo/banana leaf scrolls) penjors, (the tall and swaying bamboo poles festooned with things of nature) all is symbolic and all has a certain expression in formality and finesse of detail.  Ornate like a Fra Angelica painting, decorated like a Gustav Klimt painting or telling a story in minute detail as one could view endlessly a Hieronymous Bosch.  

lamak: this one is actually quite prosaic!

It begins with the intimate.  The morning starts around 7am with the family temple being festooned with all the offerings.
As only a Balinese woman can extract the mathematical formula as what goes where/ how many/and the last minute adjustments.... I can only help in the simplest of tasks.... such as oohing and ahhing and lighting the incense (o! this is the primary smell of Bali.....along with frying shallots), and lighting small urns of fire.  I also help with making the flower cabangs as i view any idiot can do this.  The small banana leaf boxes are already made and i have to copy the flowers in their  formation and then place moss on top.  There are over 500 of just this very kind (one of many) to be made.  It's done communally with the women; as one sees all women pause during their other work (in the market, at a store etc) take time to do this.  I have mentioned many times; Balinese spend between 75%-90% of their money on these offerings.
The fruits, cakes, chickens,pigs ,ducks are all piled high in reverence and sacrifice.

Martien (from Holland) and I ready to go to the family temple
(do you think we look silly??????? i love dressing balinese...... it's so lovely and fitting)

We made the most lovely puja first thing in the morning in the family temple.  The males sitting cross-legged, the females on our knees (virasana position in yoga) sitting on our heels. We meditate our intentions.
First we purify ourselves by motioning our hands above the incense.  The we place our hands outward to receive.  Ina (or in the temple, the priest) douse our hands with fronds of dripping "holy water".  3 times.  On the fourth+fifth we cup our hands and drink. On the sixth it is sprinkled over our heads and we cleanse ourselves.
Then we take a flower (frangipani/ylangylang,orchids,geranium,hibiscus etc) and place it between our palms and raise our palms in prayer position over our heads. After we are finished praying; you tuck the flower/petal in your hair or behind your ear.  This is repeated 3 times.  Then you take a small handful of wet uncooked rice and place it first on your forehead/third eye and then place an amount at your throat chakra.  Finally you eat three grains of rice.  More meditation.  And you walk around for the rest of the day with rice falling into your eyes, off your face (and in my situation; down my cleavage..... it's a great reminder as i undress later what i have done)

sculpture as you enter the Pura Dalem (notice skulls at bottom)

We then walked down to the Pura Dalem (temple of the Dead) and what a magnificent structure it is.... with it's giant banyan tree.  We then repeat this inside the temple (the entire structure is open to the elements) with others with a priest.
And we watch others come in with their offerings.
It is social and happy and watching the littlest toddlers of course is my favorite.
After observing for a couple of hours..... i stroll to Jalan Kajeng , one of my favorites.... and visit the Roda family...as they welcome us all.  You can view photos of all of this from a previous blog.......in 2010.  I will probably go to the trance ceremony again with the Roda clan .  Galungan is 10 days;ending in Kuningan.

at the end of the day walking through the gardens of Honeymoon these Giant lotus were blooming....and I had to record the beauty

On Kuningan i can go to the trance ceremony.... or an Odalan 
(temple birthday) ceremony in Mas....... oooooh the choices...... always the choices of which ceremony to attend!






travelin' woman

Jantuk's family temple ceremony in Bunutan - Day 2

the young girls in the village who are taught by Ketut (Dedik's wife)  in the after school program dancing the rejang

The ceremony continued on a glorious day of sunshine and lilting breezes.  Immediately, the second day of celebration felt different; more intimate and sacred.  There were far less people and those that were there were family and very close friends.  Dedik explained to me that this was the "vertical" part of the ceremony, and last week was the "horizontal".  It made immediate sense.  Last week the rituals initiated purification  allowing the commingling of people and lesser gods (ergo: party time); this week it's All about the deep connection with the Gods and going deep into the realm of prayer.  Ahhhhh

the blessings outside the temple

during the elaborate prayer water is used as puja.... they're hands are receiving sacred water to either drink or rub over their heads

even the topang (theatrical performer) prays before he begins his performance

now the blessing begin in the temple

and the singing begins

and  the book leads them in prayer

Some COLOR for your day- the banten..those dragonfruit are looking mighty tasty

wait! you mean 2 months of  preparations were not enough....... still making MORE

the priest intones

and the family begins their prayers inside of  their newly sanctified temple

Ayu (Jantuk's wife) wears the headband denoting she is family

Jantuk prays with Ylang-Ylang blossoms..... so sweet smelling

Dedik play/lead the gamelan

later his son Gede try his hand

Dedik and wife Ketut, dancer and mother to Gede- Really have you ever seen such Beauty and Grace (those Balinese women always know how to pose!)
Now comes  another time for joking and learning and altogether fun.  The prayers are usually performed by women, but the women decide they will teach the young boys... they are skeptical..... but game

Kadek is sneaking a peak 

travelin' woman

Ogoh-Ogoh parade +Nyepi

Let the parade begin

It's been a time of surprises, learning and readjusting.  
Leading up to Nyepi, there has been a surge of frenzied energy.  Nyepi is the Balinese New Year. 

there are always really frightening breasts on the beasts

each Banjar is represented: hence the different colored shirts

to further scare those prepubescent boys?????

always music !

they have special poles to lift the electric lines..... but i will say Ubud loses power every cremation because of the towers

For months, the males have been creating "ogoh-ogoh".  These are demon creatures- HUGE and larger than life.  Artfully done, never repeating themselves, these creatures are then paraded....and eventually vanquished by fire. 

 (please refer to the original blog on Ogoh-Ogoh back in 2011) 

this demon was Extraordinary!!!!

his snout snorted and his mouth opened

you want details.... well howabout THIS?

or this?????!!!!!!!

The Balinese want to confuse the "demons"........so after rallying and partying (as only the Balinese can do), they begin Nyepi in silence (to confuse the demons so that they believe the island is uninhabited and will fly over Bali.)
There were thousands and thousands of gawkers + participants.
Hot, crowded and smoky.......and night descended.


I have always left Bali just prior to Nyepi (always in March) and have witnessed the ogoh-ogoh being built, but this was my first day of "silence".  I couldn't wait to embrace it.
Stay inside the family compound.  No talking, electricity...etc just a day of prayer, meditation, reading and sleeping.
Well, I should have known something was out of kilter....as  Nyepi approached I would speak with Balinese friends and acquaintances asking them if they were looking forward to the "day of silence"....as they All worked so hard all the time.  One by one, each one explained that ,"no I will not be sleeping/praying/meditating....... but doing chores around the house."
I heard them and in my own confused way thought it an anomaly.  In the past, the upacara have always been observed; they may start a little later than I was originally told (jam karet- elastic time) but they always go on.... and on....and on for hours and hours (and days too.....as I am about to return to Jantuk's for the continuation of his family temple celebration) They are always lively affairs....filled with humor as well as prayer....but they are partaken in...no matter what is going on outside the temple walls with the tourists.  The truly unique aspect of Balinese culture is that nothing stops them from their relationship with their gods and rituals....and you (tourist) may observe, partake or ignore. 
I have always chosen to partake or observe.  And this holiday I approached as I do my silent meditations.  Prepared mentally to be alert but physically still, I started the day in meditation. To awaken to what is.
Well, what I awoke to was a beehive of Activity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The guests in the cottage next to me were loud, and I did get up the courage ...with a smile to walk over and  to ask them "please respect the silence of the day, or whisper together"
Less than 3 minutes later.......I had to remove the splattered egg off my face.......
The "kids" of Nyoman and Ina were all preparing breakfast, laughing and talking loudly with the guests. (I had purchased muesli, fruit + yogurt along with nuts etc for my meals as I certainly didn't expect breakfast and was advised to do so)  I would eat my meals on my porch overlooking the glorious rice paddies, watching the birds,butterflies,geckos and other animals. Consciously savoring.  
What was going on here????????  Whatever it was.... it was a big learning curve......and a big attitude adjustment.  
Was it the influx of tourists (7 MILLION A YEAR IN BALI) that was changing their practices?  Did they feel obligated to change their convictions to serve US?  Or was it that creeping sentiment that we in the US have with many of our holidays???? a day to "catch up" and not observe?  Or was it because it was "behind closed doors and neighbors could not see?" 
I don't know.
I went about my day as intended.  For dinner, Nyoman made a very delicious "gado-gado" [hot + spicy peanut sauce on vegetables + sprouts]-  (I had  declined lunch also) and instead of eating communally I ate on the porch.  They kept telling me that they were cooking "vegetarian".......and I knew that was for me...... despite the other 20 guests at the Inn.

travelin' woman