On August 30th 2008, Balinese celebrated Kuningan holiday, a holiday to pay homage to ancestral spirits as they return to heaven after dwelling on earth for an extended period. However, on that day Kuningan holiday was not just celebrated in Bali but also in Hamburg.

50 Balinese families from all over German came to Hamburg to celebrate the Kuningan holiday some of them were willing to travel 800 km in order to preparea and celebrate the holiday with other Nyama Bali (Balinese brother and sister). They worked shoulder to shoulder with job assignment system as in Bali, for example Nyoman Sukahayadi led a team in charge in preparing the offering and Wayan Pica led the gamelan orchestra. The celebration of Kuningan in Hamburg was officiated by a High Priest, Ida Pandita Nabe Sri Bhagawan Dwija Warsa Nawa Sandhi, who flew to Hamburg few days before the celebration.

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On Wednesday, Balinese celebrated Galungan Holyday, a holyday to commemorate the victory of Dharma (virtue) over Adharma (evil). This holyday is considered the pinnacle of Balinese struggle to subdue the negative force of evil, and what is called evil here is the sad ripu (six internal enemies), they are kama (lust), loba (greed), krodha (anger), mada (drunkeness), moha (confusion) and matsarya (envy). It is an inward struggle, a struggle to free our mind from the influence of negative force that at the end leads us to do various bad deeds.

Though this struggle is carried out everyday but the ultimate battle occur during three-day period before Galungan, when three personifications of negative force come to the world successively, they are known as Kala-tiganing Galungan – which are Bhuta Galungan, Bhuta Dunggulan and Bhuta Amangkurat.

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What will you see when you visit Bali during Galungan and Kuningan period? I believe your answer will be Penjor (eight-meter-high bamboo poles festooned with bamboo decorations which are put over roadways or pathways during Galungan or Kuniangan). Penjor will dominate your view wherever you take a look at. It is so beautiful view. But have you ever heard about the actual meaning of it?

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The victory of duo, Mangku Pastika and Puspayoga in governor election of Bali, not just give the island of Bali new leaders but also, for the first time, Balinese who had been lived outside Bali has a chance to lead Bali. Yes Made Mangku Pastika is a Balinese that joined transmigration program and relocated outside Bali, and now after years of living outside the home island he come back to lead Bali.

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In the paradise island of Bali, when it comes to offering (banten) for the ceremony the Balinese women holds the sway. Balinese women prepare all the offerings (banten) that is needed for the ceremony. If you look at glance you can see that the stuffs called banten consists of various parts and hard to remember all in a few minutes. Each stuff has its own role and function. Sometimes if banten is not complete then traditional ceremony can not be held. There is a stuff named tumpeng which is need in several ceremonies.

Tumpeng is made from rice. Balinese women usually form the rice with their hands and with help of shaper. This shaper is usually created by their hands using coconut leaves. Its shape like cone then obviously rice which is put into it will have the same form and Balinese call it tumpeng. In order to produce tight and firm tumpeng Balinese women should press the rice to the cone using their thumb. Their thumb will be tired when they have to make 100 until 300 tumpeng in each Galungan and Kuningan day.

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Many Balinese students after they graduate from Senior High school go outside Bali to continue their study instead of studying in Bali. As a result from Bali has only one state university and it has only limited majors to choose. They usually go to the west, to the big cities in Java, which serve many better and famous colleges and more majors to choose. They got better study, and yet how about their religious and cultural activities that they always did in Bali?

Actually, there, outside of Bali, are Pura (hindus’s temple) moreover there is Banjar (the smallest society organization in Bali) like in Surabaya. I Made Kris Adi Astra, one of Balinese who is studying in Jakarta complained about there is no Pura in his campus. He must ride a motorbike to reach pura Amerta Sari in bintaro. “But I prefer praying in my room. If my mood is good I will go to Pura in Cinere” he added.

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