HINDU
FESTIVALS & CEREMONIES
BALI
INDONESIA
Celebrations
of Hindu festivals are constant and popular. Balinese worship the
same Gods as the Hindus of India but their religion has strong
influences of preexisting Bali culture. The rituals are being
observed but again with a specific Bali way of life. There is a
strong belief in spirits and many of the rituals are performed to
scare away evil spirits. Offerings are being made to ensure favors
from gods and good spirits at shrines and homes.
Ceremonies
include Gamelan Orchestra, everybody dressed in traditional clothes,
marches and makes lots of noise to drive away evil spirits.
Bali
dances are unique and also a form of celebration performed often not
just during festivals and ceremonies.
The
Nyepi Festival coincides with Bali New Year and a trick to make evil
spirits to believe that the island is uninhabited. Thus it is a day
of quiet while everything closes. Visitors need to respect that
custom and enjoy the noisy celebrations a day before Nyepi of chasing
the old evil spirits away. It is a day of sleeping of the party and
pre Nyepi celebrations.
The
festivals are frequent. A Bali lifestyle. It is a guarantee that one
can experience a festival during their stay in Bali, disregarding how
short the stay is.
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