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History

Begawan is located in Payangan’s Melinggih Kelod village, with a thousand-year history as a centre of learning and culture. Payangan is derived from the word “parahyangan,” which means “heaven,” referring to a location where entry to the holy realm is attained through meditation and yoga. Melinggih translates as “sitting,” it was here that Resi Markandeya, an ancient sage in Hindu belief, sat cross-legged to focus his thoughts on Mount Agung in northeast Bali. Begawan translates as “bagawan” or “honorable person,” referring to the three Bagawantha who founded the education centre in Begawan.

Objective

Echoing the experiences of the learning centre of long ago, Begawan, in collaboration with the local community and royal leaders, will develop a Cultural Heritage program that gives students and the community new insight into their own cultural heritage, increasing their sense of belonging and pride in their own history.

“Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future.”

Albert Camus
Ceremonies
13 July 2022 – Odalan
An Odalan is a religious ceremony that takes place in Bali’s temples, celebrating the temple’s anniversary. The ceremony lasts for several days, during which offerings are presented to the deities and various performances, such as dance and gamelan music, are held. The ceremonies and festivities are carried out by the local community, with the temple being at the centre of the celebration. The Odalan ceremony is an important part of Balinese culture, and it is believed that by performing these rituals, the community can maintain the harmony between humans and deities.
10 October 2022 – Muat Ngemping
Muat Ngemping is a traditional Balinese ceremony held by rice farmers to express their gratitude for the abundance of their harvest and to seek protection from natural disasters. The ceremony involves various activities such as releasing a pig and a duck as symbols of gratitude, walking to the Subak Temple with the Barong, and performing a Topeng dance and Wayang show. The Mekiyis ceremony, believed to cleanse the body and soul, marks the end of a two-day celebration. Through this ceremony, Balinese rice farmers honor the importance of nature in their lives and livelihoods.
2 November 2022 – Ngaben
For the Balinese people, the Ngaben (Cremation) ceremony returns the elements that make up the gross human body (Panca Maha Bhuta) to their origin. Ngaben is also a form of honour from the family left behind when the souls of the deceased are released from worldly bonds to await reincarnation.
21 December 2022 – Nuduk Dewa
Rice farming is strongly linked to the religious way of life in Bali. Hence, before the harvest begins, the final ceremony must be carried out, namely Nuduk Dewa. This ritual represents the farmer’s gratitude to Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice and fertility, for the coming harvest.
4 & 14 January 2023 – Galungan & Kuningan
Galungan is a significant holiday celebrated in Bali every 210 days. The ceremony symbolises the victory of good over evil and the return of Balinese ancestors to Earth. During the ten-day celebration, Balinese Hindus visit their family temples and dress in traditional clothing to pray and give offerings to their gods and ancestors. Galungan is also a time for family reunions and feasting on traditional Balinese dishes. The holiday culminates on the 10th day, known as Kuningan, when offerings are made to the gods as they return to their abode in heaven.

Kuningan Day is a major religious holiday in Bali that occurs every 210 days in the Balinese calendar. On this day, Balinese Hindus make offerings and prayers to express gratitude to God for His blessings and to ask for continued prosperity and protection. Special ceremonies are held at temples and in homes, and families decorate their houses with intricately woven bamboo decorations called Penjor. The day concludes with a special ceremony called Ngayah, where Balinese Hindus perform community service as a form of spiritual cleansing and to give back to their community.
21 March 2023 – Pengrupukan (Nyepi Night Eve)
Nyepi, known also as Silent Day, passed with darkness and stillness, but the night before Nyepi was celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy on the streets. This activity is commonly known as Pengrupukan Day, which in Balinese means ‘to make noise’. On the eve of Nyepi, the community livened up the streets by playing gamelan music, dancing, and with both children and adults carrying the amazing Ogoh-Ogoh figures. This procession, an important event in Balinese culture, involved the entire community, and was watched by the young and the old.
5 April 2023 – Melasti Ceremony in Payangan
Melasti is a Hindu Balinese purification ceremony typically performed several days before the Balinese New Year or Nyepi. The ceremony usually takes place near a body of water, such as a beach or river, and involves the ritual purification of sacred objects, such as sacred symbols, as well as the cleansing of the soul and body of the participants. However, in the Payangan district, the Melasti ceremony is held on 5 April, two weeks after Nyepi.

During the Melasti ceremony in Payangan, people from various “banjar” come together to bring offerings and sacred objects to the nearby temple. The offerings include flowers, fruit, and other items that are considered to symbolise the Hindu religion. The procession is accompanied by traditional music and the Barong. The ceremony culminates with prayers and offerings at the Pura in the village of Melinggih. Overall, the Melasti ceremony is an important event in the Balinese Hindu calendar and is believed to bring blessings and good fortune to the community.
28 June 2023 – Mass Ngaben Ceremony in Banjar Bayad
Ngaben is an important ceremony in Bali, Indonesia, where the Balinese community comes together to honour their departed loved ones and guide their souls through the process of cremation to the afterlife. Although Ngaben is traditionally performed for an individual after a person’s death, in contrast, the Mass Ngaben, also known as the mass cremation ceremony, is a specific variation of the traditional Ngaben, where multiple deceased individuals are cremated together in a collective ritual. The Mass Ngaben takes place infrequently, approximately once every five years, when the community has a significant number of deceased individuals, making it more practical and cost-effective for families to perform the ceremony collectively.

During the Mass Ngaben, the Balinese meticulously prepare for the cremation of their loved ones, which involves large processions, elaborate rituals and a great display of communal unity. Multiple wooden sarcophagi, known as “bade,” carry the deceased, and the ceremony becomes a momentous occasion that brings the entire community together to honour the departed. This collective ceremony serves as a celebration of life, symbolising the belief in reincarnation and guiding the souls of the departed in unison towards the afterlife. Witnessing the Mass Ngaben allows visitors to gain profound insights into the Balinese way of life, their spiritual beliefs and their unwavering respect for ancestors and the divine. It remains a captivating display of cultural heritage, spirituality and communal togetherness, exemplifying Bali’s rich cultural tapestry.
2 & 12 August 2023 – Galungan & Kuningan
Galungan is a significant holiday celebrated in Bali every 210 days. The ceremony symbolises the victory of good over evil and the return of Balinese ancestors to Earth. During the ten-day celebration, Balinese Hindus visit their family temples and dress in traditional clothing to pray and give offerings to their gods and ancestors. Galungan is also a time for family reunions and feasting on traditional Balinese dishes. The holiday culminates on the 10th day, known as Kuningan, when offerings are made to the gods as they return to their abode in heaven.

Kuningan Day is a major religious holiday in Bali that occurs every 210 days in the Balinese calendar. On this day, Balinese Hindus make offerings and prayers to express gratitude to God for His blessings and to ask for continued prosperity and protection. Special ceremonies are held at temples and in homes, and families decorate their houses with intricately woven bamboo decorations called Penjor. The day concludes with a special ceremony called Ngayah, where Balinese Hindus perform community service as a form of spiritual cleansing and to give back to their community.
This is not a comprehensive list of all the ceremonies practised by the Balinese, but rather a small part that we have so far documented.

Through Begawan’s cultural heritage program, we aim to document and share local cultural practices to provide insight into Balinese cultural heritage and its history.

The Experiences

Immersion in Balinese Cultural Heritage
Balinese architecture is a major focus of our cultural heritage program, where students and guests can learn about the unique Balinese design of buildings – temples (Pura) and palaces (Puri). You will investigate the environmental and cultural influences on buildings and homes, as well as the philosophical rules that govern how a building is constructed. Balinese arts provide opportunities to learn painting, sculpture, woodcarving, and handicrafts, while Balinese dance provides opportunities to learn and watch dances at temple festivals, private ceremonies, and public performances. Dynamic and expressive, Barong, Legong, Kecak, Janger, and other Balinese dances form an important part of Balinese religious and artistic expression. Balinese life is full of ceremonies, performed from the time of conception to the time of death. You will be invited to learn about temple blessings, make daily Canang Sari offerings, celebrate Piodalan, Nyepi, Galungan, and Kuningan – times when streets, temples, and compounds are full of life. Each Bali Banjar has its own cultural heritage ceremonies, festivals, and rituals. To obtain the schedule, please contact us directly.

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