6. Galungan Day with Ketut and Jerry (by Craig, 11/30/06)

Wednesday (11/29/06) was the biggest religious festival day of the year in Bali, Galungan day. This, in a country where there are many, many religious days. In Bali, the year is 210 days long, so all the religious days repeat almost twice per year. Galungan is when the ancestors come down to visit, kind of like Dia de los Muertos in Mexico.

We were invited to spend Galungan with our friend Ketut's family. They live about a 45 minute walk from Ubud, in Singekarta. We arrived a bit early at Ketut Nanti's (Ketut's mom) compound. A Balinese compound is a property that has several small houses inside, along with a temple (located closest to the sacred mountain, Ganung Agung) and a pig sty (located farthest from the sacred mountain). We were greeted by Ketut Nanti, a lovely lady and very nice. We were also greeted by Ketut's auntie, who was old Bali personified. In old Bali (pre World War II), all the women went around topless, no big deal. Well, that's kind of the way it was Galungan day for Auntie, but she was the only one. There are maybe 20 family members living in the compound, from the grandparents to the youngest member, Wayan Jerry, only 2 months old.

Jerry and Ketut arrived, along with another friend from Berkeley, Allen Barth. We were all dressed up in our finest temple outfits. For the men, an udong around the head, a nice shirt, two sarongs (an inner that is usually some kind of print and an outer, which is a plain off white), and a sash. The ladies where a kebaya (shirt) and a sarong and sash. The ladies also all carry (without the aid of their hands, thank you very much) a basket of offering items, such as flowers and incense.

Before we went to the temple, Jerry gave us a quick lesson in what you do there. First, you go in a group and sit down on the floor (concrete or dirt). You take your sandals off because you sit on them, lotus style. Then the priest comes by and you hold up your hands in a prayer position with a flower between your fingers. He then sprays a bit of holy water on you. While this is happening, you bring your hands down and raise them again, while praying. You then hold our your right hand as a cup and he pours the holy water in your hand. You drink and then offer it again. He does this three times as you drink and then the fourth bit of water you let fall on your head. He then offers you a bowl of rice, you take some in your right hand and put a bit on your forhead.

We were to go to three temples to pray and make offerings. Needless to say, Amy, Jerry, Allen and I were the only non Balinese in sight. All the villagers were dressed in their finest, from the oldest to the youngest. You could tell that everyone was really enjoying themselves.

We made the three temple offerings and I think all of us foreigners did just fine. We then went back to Ketut's next door neighbor for lunch. Here, we met some lovely (and I mean LOVELY)young Balinese maidens who served us some sate and a vegetable sausage of some kind with rice. The lovely young ladies also served us cold drinks. Everyone was very nice and most spoke english pretty well.

We then went over to Ketut's to pray in the family temple (Ketut acted as priest, which is just fine in the family temple). By this time it was about 1pm, so we decided to take a few hours break before the big Barong procession in the afternoon.

Allen met us for a swim at the hotel and then we were back at Ketuts at around 4pm. We went out into the town and everyone was already lined up on the road for the best seats. So what happens in the Barong procession is that these guys come by with flags and the yellow umbrellas and then behind them are the three Rangdha witches (who the Barong is always fighting with). Behind the Rangdhas comes the big Barong, which is the mythical lion creature. He is carried by two guys underneath, so you just see their legs. Behind the Barong is a gamelan orchestra and then you can just walk behind these guys. So as soon as the Barong passed, we joined in the procession and went way out in the countryside. People were lined up the whole way along the road praying, chanting and making offerings. We were in absolutely gorgeous Balinese countryside, along rice paddies and with palm trees along the road. It was truly the deepest Bali, the Bali the tourists just don't see. Of the thousand or so people in the procession, we were the only white guys. Everyone smiled at us and I think were happy that foreigners would do something like this (we were still all dressed up in temple clothes, which you have to be in for the procession).


We marched along for maybe three miles, the gamelan orchestra playing the whole way. What a feeling it is to be walking along such beautiful scenery with the surreal music of the gamelan playing. Finally, the procession came back to Ketut's house and we left the procession.

It was truly a great day and something I'll never forget. We both really appreciate Ketut and Jerry making this such an amazing trip and showing us the Bali that the tourists don't see.