Balinese Spirits return each year

Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremonies. The spirits of deceased relatives who have died and been cremated return to visit their former homes, and the current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebrations are the penjor – bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end. These are installed by the side of roads. A number of days around the Kuningan day have special names, and are marked by the organization of particular activities.

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Throughout the island there are countless temples, and offerings must be made in order to please the ancestors and the gods, so that good is victorious over evil.

Here in Pererenan there’s a small temple in a large creek:

Preparing to visit the temple in the middle of the stream

The smoke from the incense rises to the godly sphere, so that the ancestors and the gods know that the Balinese are praying for them.

On his way to place the offering, but the path is a slippery one

In ten days the Balinese celebrate Kuningan, when the ancestors leave the Earth and return to their realm.

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