Thursday, 04 February 2010
See the Odalan celebrations at Bali's temples
 Unlike other religious festivals, Odalan celebrations take place all over Bali
throughout the year.
Also known as a temple festival, these events commemorate the completion of each
religious structure and are celebrated every 210 days.
With over 20,000 temples on the island, people staying in Bali hotels can expect
to find numerous Odalans taking place nearby whenever they visit the island.
The Range of Vision travel blog has described the Odalan as "a quintessential
Balinese experience".
Although each temple will have its own particular rituals, the first day of the
festival typically involves a procession to the site, where gifts and offerings
are laid out by the local people.
The following two days of the Odalan will usually feature prayer meetings, music
and puppet theatre.
Range of Vision explains that Balinese people believe that spirits descend from
heaven during the Odalan and need to be entertained through music, dancing and
other activities.
Unlike the rest of Indonesia, where the majority of people are Muslim, the Balinese
religion is a form of Hinduism.
Most people on the island adhere to traditional Hindu beliefs combined with the
ancient beliefs of the indigenous people.
The large number of temples and shrines has caused Bali to become known as the
'Island of the Gods'.
Printed version Tell your friends
| 
