Hi Explorer, have you ever heard of Hari Raya Galungan dan Kuningan? Galungan and Kuningan is a big religious day celebrated by Hindus in Bali. The celebration of this big day falls every 210 days according to Balinese calendar calculations. Within a year BC, there can be once or twice of the celebration. During the Galungan and Kuningan festivities, you will see unique sights in Bali. The streets start from the main road until the little alleys are decorated by Penjor. Since sunrise, the air will be filled with the fragrance of flowers and incense. The meaning of Hari Raya Galungan and Kuningan is a celebration of the victory of good against evil. Well, this time we will discuss a little bit more about Hari Raya Galungan and Kuningan.
The celebration of Hari Raya Galungan has started from a few days before where the believers celebrated Sugihan Java ceremony. Worship at this time is to invoke the holiness of the universe to God. The day after is Sugihan Bali. Sugihan Bali's praying activities are aimed at begging for self-purity.
For three days before Galungan, namely Penyekeban, Penyajaan, and Penampahan, Hindus are expected to exercise self-control. This is because there are negative forces that can affect humans. Self-control will prevent people from negative activities, so that on Galungan Day they can feel the real victory.
The day before Galungan, all the families established Penjor. Penjor is bamboo decorated in such a way with various natural products such as leaf, fruit, leaves, flowers, and cakes. Penjor is a symbol of the mountain as a source of the welfare of Balinese people as well as a symbol of thanksgiving to God over the abundance of his grace in the form of endless natural products.
If you are in Bali on Galungan Day, you will smell the incense in the early morning when the sun rises. Activities of praying had begun at the time and all the families performed their respective prayers in their homes and continued to the temples that were around. The atmosphere is very lively and everywhere you will see people in traditional clothing passing by carrying offerings called "Banten". Banten is made from various types of natural products such as fruits, leaves, and flowers. In addition, there are also man-made products such as rice, side dishes, and various types of cakes. Banten is dedicated to God, the gods, and the ancestors as an expression of gratitude for the gift given so far.
The interesting thing after the feast of Galungan is the activity "Ngelawang" by children. They will bring "Barong" around from one house to another. This activity is usually done a day after the feast of Galungan until 10 days later, namely Hari Raya Kuningan.
The History of Hari Raya Galungan and Kuningan
Galungan and Kuningan have a very long history. The oldest written source that mentions Galungan celebration is a papyrus that dates to 804 Saka, or about 882 AD. So if calculated, this religious celebration has lasted more than a thousand years. However, in the course of its history, the Hari Raya Galungan and Kuningan had not been celebrated for 23 years by the kings. It was only in 1103 that the ceremony was held again after King Jayakasuni received revelation. He specifically went to Pura Dalem Puri to ask for clues to the cause of his short-lived predecessors at 23 years before he came to power. From the revelation he received, the King also knew that the neglect of the celebration of Hari Raya Galungan and Kuningan was the cause. Since then, this celebration has always been celebrated with the sincerity of the hearts of believers.
Hari Raya Galungan Ceremony
The celebration of Hari Raya Galungan has started from a few days before where the believers celebrated Sugihan Java ceremony. Worship at this time is to invoke the holiness of the universe to God. The day after is Sugihan Bali. Sugihan Bali's praying activities are aimed at begging for self-purity.
For three days before Galungan, namely Penyekeban, Penyajaan, and Penampahan, Hindus are expected to exercise self-control. This is because there are negative forces that can affect humans. Self-control will prevent people from negative activities, so that on Galungan Day they can feel the real victory.
The day before Galungan, all the families established Penjor. Penjor is bamboo decorated in such a way with various natural products such as leaf, fruit, leaves, flowers, and cakes. Penjor is a symbol of the mountain as a source of the welfare of Balinese people as well as a symbol of thanksgiving to God over the abundance of his grace in the form of endless natural products.
If you are in Bali on Galungan Day, you will smell the incense in the early morning when the sun rises. Activities of praying had begun at the time and all the families performed their respective prayers in their homes and continued to the temples that were around. The atmosphere is very lively and everywhere you will see people in traditional clothing passing by carrying offerings called "Banten". Banten is made from various types of natural products such as fruits, leaves, and flowers. In addition, there are also man-made products such as rice, side dishes, and various types of cakes. Banten is dedicated to God, the gods, and the ancestors as an expression of gratitude for the gift given so far.
The interesting thing after the feast of Galungan is the activity "Ngelawang" by children. They will bring "Barong" around from one house to another. This activity is usually done a day after the feast of Galungan until 10 days later, namely Hari Raya Kuningan.
Hari Raya Kuningan Ceremony
Exactly 10 days after Hari Raya Galungan is Hari Raya Kuningan. Characteristic of this feast is to make yellow rice used for Banten. Yellow rice is equipped with various types of nuts, serundeng, omelet, and dried fish. Some areas add slices of chicken meat, some even complement it with dried fried octopus pieces.
In
addition to yellow rice, typical of the celebration of Hari Raya
Kuningan is a decoration that is placed on the temple or the house of
the people. There is a round Tamiang like a shield and there is also a
Kolem that looks like a weapon. In addition to the two earlier, there is
also a name that looks like a tote bag. It contains various things such
as rice, side dishes, and other agriculture products.
The meaning of the three ornaments is to remind people to always be ready to fight against evil. Goodness is a shield used to protect oneself from evil and at the same time a weapon in the fight against evil. In
addition to goodness, humans also must not forget to meet the basic
needs, symbolized by the Endongan, which describes the provisions
obtained by virtue.
By always fighting against evil, we will celebrate again the triumph of good against evil on the next Galungan Day.
By always fighting against evil, we will celebrate again the triumph of good against evil on the next Galungan Day.
If Hari Raya Galungan is done all day, Hari Raya Kuningan is only celebrated for half a day. All prayer activities must be done before noon. The Hindus believe that at noon the gods and ancestors will return to heaven.
This year the first Galungan falls on May 30 and Kuningan on June 9, 2018. The next Galungan will be celebrated on December 26, 2018, and Kuningan will be celebrated on January 5, 2019. If you are still curious and want to know about the two holidays here, do not hesitate to leave comments in the comments field.
Article was based on the translation of the article "Galungan dan Kuningan, Perayaan Atas Kemenangan Kebaikan"
Article was based on the translation of the article "Galungan dan Kuningan, Perayaan Atas Kemenangan Kebaikan"
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