Galungan
Penjor lining a road in Bali at Galungan
Also called	Galungan
Observed by	Balinese Hindus
Type	Hindu
Observances	Prayers, Religious rituals
Date	Hindu Balinese pawukon Buda Keliwon Dunggulan

Galungan is a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma over adharma.^[1] It marks the time when the ancestral spirits visit the Earth. The last day of the celebration is Kuningan, when they return. The date is calculated according to the 210-day Balinese Pawukon calendar.

Significance

Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremonies. The spirits of deceased relatives who have died and been cremated return to visit their homelands, and the current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebrations are the penjor - bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end. These are installed by the side of roads. A number of days around the Kuningan day have special names, and are marked by the organization of particular activities.^[2]

Dates

Galungan begins on the Wednesday (Buda), the 11th week of the 210-day pawukon calendar. This means that there are often two celebrations per solar year. Dates for 2018-2024 are as follows:^[3]

References

• Balilocalguide.com Calendar of events Accessed 6 November 2018
• Eiseman, Fred B. Jr, Bali: Sekala and Niskala Volume I: Essays on Religion, Ritual and Art pp 182-185, Periplus Editions, 1989 ISBN 0-945971-03-6
• Pancorbo, Lo balinés", en "Fiestas del Mundo. Las Máscaras de la Luna". pp. 33–41. Ediciones del Serbal, Barcelona, 1996.

External links

• Video documenting Galungan ceremony preparations on Bali part 1, part2
• How Galungan is celebrated in Bali Archived 2013-10-21 at the Wayback Machine