For Balinese, determining an auspicious time for holding a ceremony is an important phase in preparation of ceremony. No Balinese in his right mind will hold a ceremony without consulting specialist for finding auspicious time for ceremony or at least consulting a special Balinese calendar which provides list of auspicious dates for various ceremonies and activities. But there is a basic rule in determining auspicious time for ceremony that have to be observed before picking a time for certain ceremony.

The rule is as follow:

Ling (bawos) Sang Hyang Suwemandala, yanana wang tani karwan dilaku, ngelaku lampahing dina, wuku alah dening tanggal, alah dening asih, sasih alah dening dauh. Dauh ngaran Sang Hyang Troyodaksi, sira sira sakti wisesa, yan anemu dauh suka sugih ayu pisan. Yan anemu tan pedauh ala dahat salwiring mahayu, mesabda maidep, eda maselselan ring awak lacur apan widi nurunan dedauhan.

Free translation into English:

Based on the words of God that cannot be denied and must be obeyed, Week (wuku) is inferior compare to the day, day is inferior compare to the month (sasih), month is inferior compare to the dauh (a Balinese traditional measurement of time, 1 dauh is equivalent to one hour and a half). Dauh is the representation of God, whoever finds the right dauh will find happiness and prosperity, without finding the right dauh all happiness turn to misery; do not blame it to the fate since this rule is made by God.
In other word a bad week can be tolerated if the day is good, a bad day can be tolerated if the month is good, and a bad month can be tolerated if the dauh is good. Based on this rule the most important consideration in determining the right time for ceremony is finding the right dauh (hour) in a day to perform the ceremony.

But as everything else in Bali, there is a special offering to minimize the negative effect of performing a ceremony not at an auspicious time, but still it is better to perform the ceremony at the right time.

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