TEMPLE
CEREMONY , or " ODALAN ".
Every
Temple and Srhrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony,
or " Odalan ", every 210 days according to Balinise
kalender, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family
posseses. Because of this praticcaly every few days a ceremony
of vestival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali.
There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same
Holyday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day,
Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day etc.
The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its
birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if
the wuku or 210 day calender is uesd. When new moon is used then
the celebration always happen on new moon or full moon. The day
of couse can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts
at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days
while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is
never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days,
depending on the importance of the occation.
The
celebration is very colourful. The shrine are dreesed with pieces
of cloths and sometimes with brocade, salangs, decorations of
carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and chinese coins,
very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the
shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas
depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines.
In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas
soears, tridents and other weapons, the "umbul-umbul",
long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness.
In front of the Temple gate put up "Penjor", long bamboo
poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves,
rice and other products of the land. Most beautifulto see are
the girls in their colourful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements
of all kinds fruits and coloured cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor
admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.
The
offerings in areas are as high as the carriers. These offerings
are put in front of the shrine where the owners want to worship.
A priest officiates and after he has recited his prayers he sprinkles
holy water on the offerings and the people, blessing them in this
way. For the people the ceremony is over and they carry their
offering back home and have a feast later. Only a small tray with
petals of flowers are left behind.
People spend the whole night in the temple. To entertain them
or to keep them awake there are dance performances, free everyone
to see.
