Saraswati Ceremonies

Saraswati Day is celebrated every 210-days

On February 27th, 2010, Hindu's followers in Bali celebrate Saraswati Day, the day to worship God in his manifestation as the master of all knowledge, every six moths which's based on Balinese calendar, called pawukon on Saniscara Umanis Watugunung. This is a time to give their great honor to the knowledge.

Balinese Hindu believes that knowledge is an essential medium to achieve the goal of life as a human being. Saraswati Day is celebrated to honor God as source of the knowledge. God, in this particular celebration, is manifested as Saraswati Dewi, Goddess Saraswati. She is depicted as a beautiful lady with four hands holding a musical instrument, meditation bead chain, as well as palm leaf manuscript. Many times the Saraswati is depicted to be standing on the swan. The beautiful lady is a symbol that the knowledge is attractive by many people. The musical instrument symbolized the knowledge is entertaining, the more you are into it the more beautiful and interesting it can be. The manuscript (or book) is where the knowledge is kept. The chain is a symbol that knowledge is never finish to learn, there is no beginning and ending.

Similar to other religious rites in Bali, Saraswati day also has various religious steps before and after the actual day. Six days before Saraswati is Pemelastali , a day to free our selves from worldly desire. Four days and the following days before Saraswati are called Paid Paidan, Urip and Patetegan which mean days to control desire, constantly do introspection by holding the purity of the knowledge. On day before Saraswati is called Pengeredanaan, a day to prepare Saraswati Day both spiritually and physically. Book are collected, cleaned and placed in properly places. Special offerings are made to be used for the following celebration.

Saraswati Day is celebrated every 210-days on Saniscara Umanis Wuku Watugunung based on Balinese Pawukon (cycles) ) calendar . On the actual day of Saraswati , offering are placed on the books and shrines. Worships are held at the temples in family compound, villages, businesses and others from morning to noon. Prime worships are held in school's temples attended by its student and teachers. In the afternoon and evening is a good time to held religious discussion. The following day of Saraswati is called Banyupinaruh, a day to have spiritual and physical cleansing. Normally Balinese will go to nearby beaches or water spring or river to have the special bathing. Worship will also be held in the village temples or other respective temples afterward.

Other Temple Ceremony
Temple Ceremony Every Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or " Odalan ", every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holyday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day etc. The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used.
Nyepi Day On March 26th, 2009, Hindu's followers in Bali celebrate Nyepi. Day, The first day of the new year is, in Bali, called “ Nyepi”, which means quiet. No one is allowed to leave the compound; one does not work on that day; no fire is allowed and people may not smoke. People are supposed to spend them quietly at home and meditate. Food for that is cooked the night before. People sleep in the dark, day because no light is allowed. And before nyepi called "Pengerupukan" so all the Village in Bali make ogoh- ogoh. The second day of the new year is called “Ngembak api” ; it means that people are allowed to make fire on this day, but people do not work yet.
Pagerwesi Day On August 5th, 2009, Hindu's followers in Bali celebrate Pagerwesi Day, Feast day of Pagarwesi Day fall on my Budha Keliwon of Sinta. In holy day calendar in Bali, today is day to 5 from with refer doing important feast day of Christmas. Today is Hyang Pramesti Teacher payogan, accompanied by all Deity and of Pitara, for the shake of prosperity of world with all its contents and for the shake of its life all creature. At that moment people shall semadhi ayoga, namely set a mind at rest and also show to curtsey fore bhakti of Ida the Hyang Widhi.
Cremation Ceremony Bali is famous for it is cremation. A cremation in Bali is something worth seeing and it is a very joyous occasion. Sooner or later every Balinese is cremated. A cremation is very costly. There are so many offerings involved; a cremation tower has to be built; a sarcophagus in the form of a "Lembu", bull, "Singga", Lion, or a "Gajah mina", fish body with an elephant head, has to be carved. Also the hundred of people who come to help have to be entertained with food, cigarettes and other things The tower is a means to carry the body to the cemetery and the sarcophagus is where the corpse is burned. They are not really an essential part of any cremation and so a cremation can do without them.
Galungan and Kuningan Day Galungan - this year falling on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009, begins a 10 day celebration of fundamental importance on the Bali Hindu calendar and a particularly interesting time for visitors to be on the most spiritual of islands. every six months which's based on Balinese calendar, called pawukon on Budha Kliwon Dunggulan. Marking the beginning of a window lasting ten days, Galungan and Kuningan is the period when the spirits of deceased ancestors descend to earth to once again be among their families.
Bali Art Festival On June 13th- July 11th 2009, Bali Art Festival to do, under the initiative of Governor of Bali, since 1978, annual Bali art festival taken place from the middle of June until July lasting for one month, the main aim of the festival is preserving the art and culture of Bali, located in Denpasar Bali - Indonesia. There are varieties of master piece of arts from all regencies in Bali to be presented in that festival such as: traditional music’s, dances, and many others handicraft activities.

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