Temples in Bali celebrate their anniversary (Odalan) every 210 days, one Balinese year, it is a time of celebration and a great deal of hard work. For a normal Odalan the temples are cleaned and prepared a week ahead of time, all the members of the local community, the Banjar, sharing the work load. Temples come alive during the Odalan, try and compare temples in their normal quiet state to the liveliness and beauty of this celebration. For myself the ceremony is about the people, coming together to celebrate the Balinese religion, sharing the work and enjoying the end result.
The first set of pictures is from an Odalan at Pura Dalem, Pejeng Aji, Tegallalang. The second set is part of the opening ceremony for the Odalan at Pura Dura Bingin in Tegallalang. The children walk around the boundaries of the village with the boys free to dress up or decorate themselves as anything they like. Before they set out they are fed and blessed in the temple. The total distance around the village is around 10 kilometres and children as young as 6 will complete the whole route. |
