Galungan Feast

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Balinese Hindus Express Gratitude through Penjor

Hindu community in Bali was celebrating Galungan, Wednesday (Dec 17) and Kuningan on Saturday (Dec 27). When Galungan arrives, little boys, teenagers or adults will seriously prepare a penjor. Such ritual paraphernalia is made of bamboo pole decorated with young coconut leaves. It is also equipped with coconut and fruits (various crops of Balinese farmers).
Penjor is then installed in front entrance gates of each house compound on Penampahan, a day before the Galungan. Later on, people are vying to make penjor as vibrantly as possible with a variety of artistic touch. Probably, people make it in a dragon-shaped and embellished with various flowers and even combined with flickering lights.
Jero Mangku Sekalan, I Ketut Arthana, said that penjor posed an expression of gratitude for all the blessings endowed to human beings. On that account, the penjor was decorated with harvest crops including tubers and fruits plus offerings on the penjor. Penjor symbolized the Mount Agung for the worship of Sang Hyang Giripati having provided safety and well-being. The installation was meant as devotion and gratitude before God. Penjor materials covered bamboo stick with upper curving end, decorated with palm leaves or young palm leaves and decorative plants.
Penjor complements included tubers such as sweet potatoes and fruits like coconut, cucumber, bananas and so on, crops (cereal) such as corn, rice and so on, snack, perforated coins as well as shrine and bamboo shrine with complete oblations. At the upper end was suspended a sampian penjor along with porosan (betel, lime, areca nut) and flowers.
Galungan falls every Wednesday Kliwon Dungulan, explained Jero Mangku Arthana, as it posed the commemoration of the creation of the universe and its contents as well as the victory of dharma (truth) against adharma (untruth). On that day, the Hindus made offerings presented to Lord with all his manifestations as an expression of gratitude upon the grace endowed. Penjor was installed during a month according to the Balinese calendar (35 days) and would be withdrawn on Buda Kliwon Pahang.www.bali-travelnews.com
balinese life and culture