If you pass by Jalan Raya Kapal, You will easily find a nice-decorative bamboo pole (Penjor). According Mr. Sunada, he always makes every Galungan different type of unusual Penjor. This time looks like God of Wisnu with bird of Garuda and Dragon.

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Head cloth, or udeng is the most striking part of Balinese traditional dress. An udeng is actually a piece of square cloth about one meter on each side. It may have overall design but it is usually symmetrical. The wearer folds the cloth into a triangle rolls up the long end several times until the remaining triangle is small enough to cover the head, and ties it to the head. The entire udeng is tied to the head in such way that the point of the triangle faces toward the rear and the knot is centered on the forehead, then one side of the triangle is pulled behind the knot, making a crest known as “jambul,” after the tuff of feather on the head of some birds.

There are many style of udeng; above mentioned technique is used to make a general udeng which are widely used by Balinese men. Some men prefer to use different style of udeng to distinguish themselves from the crowd but some use a different kind of udeng as a mark of their social or religious role, for example: priest used a distinguished style of udeng, known as “udeng mangku” as a sign of priesthood; this style has a knot on the back of the head and the triangle cover the head. Pecalang (traditional security force) also use a unique style of udeng known as jejantaran as sign of their role as a security force.

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In Bali, Garuda is believed to be the king of birds, ruler of the sky, and personification of power. In Balinese culture, Garuda is always depicted as a man with bird head and a pair of wings sometimes with bird’s tail though in sacred Garuda incantation, it describes in quite different way, the translation of this incantation into English will be as follow:

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“Garuda is a fascinating and terrifying bird with strong teeth, red eyes, big beaks, and long neck. His speed is as fast as the wind.”
“Both of his knees are golden in color, his stomach is in the shape of mountain, his neck shine as bright as sun and his head look is glowing.”
“Impressing yellow is the color of his feathers from feet up to knees. The color of his body is white from thighs up to navel.”
“Radiant silver from the heart up to under his beak, and black from beak up to his head.”

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President Wants Long-Delayed Cultural Park Finished in Time for World Cultural Festival in Bali.

According to the Indonesian-language Bisnis Indonesia, President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono has expressed the wish that the 250-hectare cultural park and monument Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) complex on Bali’s Ungasan peninsula can be finally complete by October 2008, in time for the World Cultural Festival planned in Bali.

With a completion cost variously estimated at between US$70 and US$270 million, the centerpiece of the park will be a monument standing 146 meters high and some 286 meters above sea level. With a foundation structure the equivalent of a 16 storey building, the total statue is estimated to eventually weigh 2,000 tons when completed and will resemble the image of the Hindu epic hero Lord Wisnu sitting stop the back of the mythical Garuda bird. The wing span of the Garuda bird will be an impressive 60 meters.

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