Contrary to most of people in the world who are so interested with their birthday party that they are fond of creating something to make their birthday to be a luxurious moment, Balinese prefer to celebrate their birthday with spiritual touch. Balinese call it otonan.

Otonan is quite different from common birthday party. It is held twice a year because its celebration is based on wuku. Wuku itself is based on Balinese Pawukon system in which each cycle consists of 30 wuku. Each Wuku lasts for a week; so a cycle comprises of 210 days. The wuku is a bit similar of zodiac; each name reflects characters of someone who was born on that wuku. What wuku and day a Balinese was born; on that same wuku and day the otonan is held. This birthday celebration needs not a fancy dress because Balinese use only simple traditional dress on that celebration.

Balinese believe that they were born with four guardian brothers or sisters (kanda pat). When otonan is held, the four siblings are called to gather around the child and protect her/him. Then the child is hoped to be aware of who she/he actually is with help from his/her four siblings. If she/he doesn’t care with these siblings, the they will leave him/her then she/he will be vulnerable to any magical attack and tend to do ill conducts. Otonan is a day when Balinese aware of their self. (more…)

Pedanda or Peranda, the brahmana high priest of Bali, is a special man who have a right and ability to perform and officiate a religious ceremony, serves as a bridge between God and mortal.

To become a pedanda one has to be born in a Brahmana family, the office of pedanda is usually passed down from father to son of his choice; there is an intensive training from a qualified teacher known as nabe and a spiritual preparation required for the position. There is generally only one pedanda in a large extended family of Brahmanas, and the rest of family do ordinary labor as farmers, artisans, teachers, clerks, merchants, or even day laborers.

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On Saturday 18^th February 2006 the Balinese celebrate Saraswati Day.
Saraswati is the Balinese Goddess of knowledge, wisdom and the arts. She is one of most revered deities that Balinese Hindu’s worship and is depicted as a very beautiful woman with four arms carrying symbols related to science and the arts. Huge stone sculptures and images of the Goddess Saraswati at the front entrance of many Balinese schools and universities is evidence of the level of local respect towards education.

Most pictures were shot at Puputan Badung near Pura Jagad Natha where mass prayer of Saraswati is taking place.

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