Renowned as a holiday Mecca for the masses, Indonesia’s tourist capital is no ordinary city in Asia. Abound with natural beauty and a rich cultural heritage the Balinese are a group of people entrenched in their traditional way of life with every occasion in the cycle from birth to death marked with rituals as ancient as time itself. This preoccupation with marking and celebrating every significant event in the natural world as well as life is such a part of the Balinese identity that folk life in the country would be bereft without the age old customs and wisdom passed on from generation to generation. The Galungan Festival is one of Bali’s most prestigious religious and cultural mêlées marked in Wuku years. Taking centre stage for 10 consecutive days the festival pays homage to the all powerful deity Sanghyang Widi and all heavenly benefactors and culminates with a festival as colorful as the one that precedes it. Dubbed the Kuningan Festival the final day of the Galungan period is celebrated with what is deemed as the most significant day in the entire festival.
The Sakenan Temple on Serangan Island also known as Turtle Island is the centerpiece of the celebrations during Kuningan as all Balinese Hindus gather at the venue for three days for the event. Dressed in traditional costumes the pilgrims flock to what is perhaps one of the largest temples in all of Bali to commemorate Kuningan and engage in religious customs paying tribute to ancestors who have graced earth since the beginning of the Galungan and must return to their heavenly abode. Gratitude is also paid to the deities who have also descended from heaven and granted the human race many bountiful gifts as well as mercy in the year that passed.
The festival is marked across Bali by the yellow cloth clad Penjor (bamboo pole) placed at the entrance of each village home which transforms from a white flagged pole to one bearing yellow hued flag signaling prosperity. A colorful procession is also part of the celebrations which welcomes visitors to take part in the festivities or simply observe the goings on at close quarters.
Travellers on the lookout for luxurious Bali spa resorts will find no alternative to the comfort of COMO Shambhala Estate Bali. Offering guests a breathtaking hideaway complete with therapeutic spa treatments this Bali spa resort pulls out all the stops when it comes to vacationing in style.