A beautiful woman, having four hands, standing on a big lotus, and is accompanied by a swan and a peacock are a little bit appearances of Saraswati. Who is she? Balinese sometimes call her The Goddess of Knowledge and she is given homage every 210 days by special ceremony and various offerings. She is the eternal consort of Brahma (the creator)

The Goddes Saraswati has four hands. Each hand holds respectively Genitri, Keropak, Wina, and Lotus. Genitri is something like rosary beads. This is a symbol of neverending knowledge. Knowledge will never be destroyed all around the age, knowledge is everlasting. That is why it is symbolized by Genitri; when we count it we will never find the end of it. It is similar with knowledge that has no end.

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Today, Saturday, 10/10/2007, Balinese celebrates the Saraswati holyday, a sacred day for knowledge. Saraswati is the Goddess of Knowledge, symbolized by a beautiful woman with four hands, riding on a white swan, she symbolize that knowledge is like a beautiful woman, chase by everyone for the rest of his life. Her four hands hold, respectively, a palm leaf manuscript, a lontar, a Balinese traditional manuscript which is the source of science or knowledge; a genitri, a chain consist with 108 pieces, symbolizing that knowledge has no ending there will always be a knowledge, knowledge is never run out; and a guitar or wina, a musical instrument, it symbolizes that science is as beauty as the sound of wina and a lotus is a symbol of holiness. The swans symbolize prudence, with knowledge human can distinguish between good and evil.

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The goddess Saraswati is one of the most revered and popular goddess in Bali. Her statue can be found in every junior and senior high school all over Bali, her gigantic statue can be found in every university in Bali.

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Balinese dance, music, painting, sculpture, and drama are well known around the globe. Unfortunately, Balinese traditional literature does not enjoy so much attention and admiration, known only to cultural researchers and of course by the Balinese.

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Bali possesses a rich and diverse literary heritage. Balinese traditional literature covers a wide variety of genres, ranging from folk tales and mythical stories in prose to epic poetry in different styles, from histories to dictionaries, from specialist manual to astronomical text, from magic formulae to moral treatises, from divination to agricultural practices from religious doctrine and philosophy to medicine.

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On September 20, 2006, the Balinese Hindus celebrated Pagerwesi, a very special day devoted to our ancestors. During this day, we ask for protection and prosperity.

Pagerwesi is literally translated as ‘iron fence’. Pagerwesi is celebrated every 210 days based on the Balinese lunar calendar. The length of the Balinese year differs from the western calendar and is 210 days long. Philosophically, the name ‘iron fence’ refers to the strong barrier against evil.

On this day, offerings are made to the Almighty and the holy spirit of each family’s ancestors. Prayers are held at family compounds and family temple shrines as well as at village temples throughout the island.

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In Bali there are frequent ceremonies that celebrate the Hindu faith. Every day, according to the Balinese lunar calendar, has some significance that requires prayer and offerings to appease the Gods. Through religion and belief, the Balinese are bound to the ritual traditions that are an intrinsic part of their heritage. It is this fascinating culture that has drawn so many travellers’ to Bali’s shores.

On Saturday, 16^th September, the Balinese will 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.

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If you are heading to Bali in search of a land of relaxation where watches, calendars and appointment books are unheard of, you’ll be in for a surprise. While the Balinese are indeed faithful followers of the relaxed island tempo known as “jam karet” or “rubber time,” they are also among the most time conscious people in the world. And no, we don’t mean just the scores of sellers of fake Rolex and Cartier watches who swarm the streets of Kuta. We mean the many Balinese who organize their lives around the traditional Balinese calendar.

In Bali, the calendar determines good days and bad days for virtually every human activity, and many actions are only undertaken after consultation with a ritual calendar specialist or taking a glance at the comprehensive traditional calendar virtually every Balinese family has hanging on their wall. There are auspicious days for planting rice, for holding ceremonies, and for cutting down trees. There are favorable days for digging wells, building fish ponds or house foundations or learning to dance. There are times that are opportune for teaching your buffalo to plow, weaving a fishing net, or getting married. And in traditional Balinese belief, there is a direct relationship between the day of one’s birth and one’s character and potential.

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