Galungan and Kuningan: when bamboo arches line every road in Bali

If you arrive in Bali and every village road is lined with tall, curved bamboo poles hung with woven palm leaves, you have arrived for Galungan, one of the most important festivals of Balinese Hinduism.

What is celebrated

Galungan celebrates the victory of dharma (virtue) over adharma (evil). The Balinese believe the ancestral spirits return to visit their families during this time, and they are welcomed with offerings, prayers and food. Ten days later, Kuningan marks the day the spirits return to heaven, and families give thanks with yellow rice (kuning means yellow).

A 210-day calendar

Galungan follows the Pawukon calendar, a cycle of 210 days, so it happens roughly twice a year and moves through the Western calendar. It always falls on a Wednesday (Buda Kliwon Dungulan), with Kuningan on the Saturday ten days later. Ask us or check a Balinese calendar for the next dates.

The days around Galungan

• Penyekeban (three days before): bananas and fruit are "ripened" for offerings.
• Penampahan (the day before): pigs are slaughtered for lawar and babi guling, and families cook together. The penjor go up.
• Galungan: families dress in their best traditional clothes and pray at the family temple and village temples. Many offices and schools close.
• Manis Galungan (the day after): visiting relatives and friends, outings, and in some villages the ngelawang Barong walks from house to house to chase away bad spirits.
• Kuningan (ten days after Galungan): prayers usually finish before noon, when the ancestors are believed to leave.

The penjor

The penjor is a tall bamboo pole that bends over the road like a fishing rod, decorated with coconut leaves, rice, fruit, cakes and cloth. It represents Mount Agung and the blessing of prosperity flowing to the home. Penjor stay up for weeks after Kuningan and make Bali's roads especially photogenic.

Tips for visitors

• Traffic: temples are busy in the morning; allow extra time, especially in Ubud, Gianyar and Bangli.
• Staff: many Balinese return to their home villages. Book drivers and restaurants in advance.
• Dress code: if you visit a temple, wear a sarong and sash and follow your guide's instructions; some inner courtyards are for worshippers only.
• Photography: ceremonies are beautiful, but never stand in front of praying people or use flash.
• Gifts: if you are invited to a family home, a box of cakes or fruit is a kind gesture.

Our drivers know the ceremony schedules in their villages — on a private tour you may be able to watch a village procession respectfully from the roadside.