Galungan is a Balinese Ceremony - celebrating the victory of dharma "Good" over adharma "Evil Force". It marks the time when the ancestral spirits visit the Earth. The last day of the celebration is Kuningan, when they return. The date is calculated according to the 210 day of Bali calendar.

As local legend goes, Galungan commemorates a Balinese victory that involves the central figures of Indra (the Hindu god of thunder, rain and lightning) and the Balinese king, known as Mayadenawa, who denied his subjects the worship of Hinduism. So powerful was the king that no one could overcome him. The conquest of Java's Majapahit army back then had little effect. Battles ensued until finally Indra descended from the heavens to defeat the king.

The battle raged in Tampaksiring, Gianyar, where the king was finally subdued. While under siege, he tried to escape by various ways including via supernatural means such as turning into a statue, a stone, and a wild boar. He easily fooled the troops, but not Indra. Mayadenawa then retreated to the jungle leaving behind disguised footsteps, hoping his assailants would not easily track them. Indra's magic arrow put an end to the rebel king.

The legendary site where he bled to death became a freshwater spring, the current-day site of the Tirta Empul Temple. The king’s slanting footprints gave the name to the valley area, later pronounced as Tampak Siring – ‘slanting footprints’. The Balinese and Majapahit armies honoured Indra, commemorating the defeat of the king as Galungan, the day of victory of dharma over adharma. The decorative bamboo poles signify upheld Hinduism and wisdom.

So traumatized were the people that they were not easily convinced of the king’s defeat, believing that he had probably used his magic to turn into a statue, tree or even another animal. To overcome public fear, an official announcement of the defeat was made 10 days later, commemorated as the day of Kuningan, which has two meanings, ‘to announce’ and ‘of yellow’.

The festival is preceded by several days of preparations which begin three days before the festival, and is called “Penyekeban”. Literally meaning “the day to cover”, Penyekaban marks the preparations for Galungan where families cover green un-ripe bananas in huge clay pots to speed up the ripening process. The second day is called “Penyajahan” which marks a time of introspection for the Balinese, and more prosaically, a time to make Balinese cakes known as jaja. These colored cakes are made from fried rice dough and are used in offerings, and are also eaten specially on Galungan. The last day of preparation is called “Penampahan” or slaughtering day. On this day, Balinese slaughter the sacrificial animals which will be used in the rituals.

During Galungan, a ceremony known as Ngelawang is performed in every village. Ngelawang is a ritual to expel evil and any negative spirits, which is performed by a "barong" - a divine protector in the form of a mythical beast. The barong is invited into houses as he makes his way through the village. His presence is meant to restore the balance of good and evil in the house. The residents of the house will pray before the dancing barong, who will afterwards give a piece of his fur as keepsake.

Barong is apparently the best able-bodied accepted dance. It is additionally addition news cogent dance, address the action amid acceptable and evil. This ball is the archetypal archetype of Balines way of acting out mythology, consistent in allegory and history actuality attenuated into one reality.

The news goes that Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was accursed by Erlangga's ancestor because she accomplished atramentous magic. Afterwards she became a widow, she summoned all the angry alcohol in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to appear afterwards Erlangga. A action occurred, but she and her atramentous abracadabra troops were too able that Erlangga had to ask for the advice of Barong.Barong came with Erlangga's soldiers, and action ensued. Rangda casted a spell that fabricated Erlangga soldiers all capital to annihilate themselves, pointing their berserk keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that angry their anatomy aggressive to the aciculate keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.

Somebody can die or get actively afflicted in a Barong dance. It is said that if Rangda's spell is too strong, a anemic soldier may not be able to abide it, alike with the advice of Barong. He may end up affliction himself with his own keris.The masks of Barong and Rangda are advised angelic items, and afore they are brought out, a priest charge be present to action blessings by admixture them with angelic baptize taken from Mount Agung, and offerrings charge be presented.

The last and a pinnacle to the ten day festival is called Kuningan. It is believed that on this particular day, the supreme god Sang Hyang Widi descends to earth to give blessing for all the people. As closure to the series of Galungan rituals, Kuningan also marks the return of all the gods and ancestors to their own realm.

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 weighed down by offerings suspended at the end. These can be seen by the side of roads.

A number of days around the Kuningan day itself have special names, with particular activities being organized.

What to expect?
Large bamboo poles decorated with palm leaves, flowers and coconuts. A penjor is basicaly a long tapered bamboo poletaht is stood vertically in the ground often on the roadside, and decorated in coconuts leaves.