Every year, Hindus in Bali celebrate Galungan Day. This year, Galungan is celebrated twice: on February 28 and September 25, 2024.
Galungan is the day of the victory of Dharma (truth) against Adharma (evil). This day is a day when Hindus commemorate the creation of the universe and everything in it.
Galungan Day is celebrated as a Thanksgiving. Hindus will give and make offerings to Sang Hyang Widhi and Dewa Bhatara on this day.
The Meaning Behind Galungan
@gidnabali Pulau bali lagi indah indahnya, sebab dibali sedang ada perayaan hari raya galungan dan Kuningan. Jadi Kl kalian lagi liburan dibali saat ini kalian beruntung sekali bisa pemandangan seindah ini di sepanjang jalan. #galungan #kuningan #rahajenggalungan #bali #balivibes #wisatabali #baliviral #balitour #jalanjalan #obyekwisata #penjor #holiday #liburan #гиднабали #экскурсиинабали #экскурсиинабали #baliexplorer #ubud #laguindia ♬ suara asli – 💗 𝑨𝑼𝑹𝑨 𝑱𝑼𝑳𝑰𝑨 💗 – 𝑨𝑼𝑹𝑨 𝑱𝑼𝑳𝑰𝑨
According to Hindu beliefs, Galungan Day commemorates Lord Indra’s victory over Mayadenawa or represents the battle between good and evil.
Hindus believe that Galungan can give them spiritual strength. This will give them the physical and non-physical strength to distinguish between good and bad deeds.
The Galungan celebration teaches people to control their desires, especially bad desires. In Hindu belief, human lust is divided into three kala, namely: Kala Amangkutat (lust for power), Kala Dungulan (lust for taking other people’s property), and Kala Galungan (lust to always win at any cost).
In addition, Galungan is also a moment to express gratitude to the Almighty for all the blessings given, including the creation of the universe and everything in it.
The meaning of Penjor that is installed during Galungan
One of the characteristics of Galungan is the installation of penjor in front of Balinese houses. So, what is the meaning of penjor during Galungan?
The installation of the penjor is done on the day of Penampahan Galungan, which is the day before Galungan Day. Penjor is made of materials that come from nature. Starting from a piece of bamboo with curved ends, decorated with janur or young enau leaves, and other leaves.
Hindus in Bali interpret penjor as a symbol of a mountain that is considered sacred. The penjor, which is attached to the earth, symbolizes life and safety.
There are also those who interpret penjor as a symbol of Naga Basuki, which is a symbol of prosperity. The decoration along the bamboo from the bottom to the top of the penjor consists of hangings such as rice, cassava, corn, cloth, and so on. The various natural materials symbolize the feathers of Naga Ananta Bhoga, which is considered the place where food and clothing grow.
Penjor prices rise dramatically ahead of Galungan
On the eve of Galungan, sellers of penjor ornaments in Karangasem Regency, Bali, began to be swarmed by buyers. As reported by Detiknews, the sales of penjor ornaments can reach IDR 50 million in six days.
Some ready-made penjor are sold for IDR 300 thousand-IDR 400 thousand depending on the shape of the decoration. Usually, home, villa, or hotel owners will compete to install beautiful penjor so that the unit price can reach IDR 500,000 to millions.
