Kuningan Day celebrated in Turtle Island

DENPASAR (indo.com): Ten days after Galungan Day or on January 24, 2004, Balinese Hindu followers will celebrate the prosperity day of "Kuningan", marking the elaborate temple festival at Sakenan Temple, one of the big temples in Bali.

Sakenan Temple is located in Serangan Island, known as Turtle Island. Situated in southern part of Bali, Turtle Island is one of the most favorite spot for surfing.

The temple will be jam-packed for three days by people wearing traditional Balinese costumes.

To reach the temple, you can go by boat or cars or bikes. If you go by car or bike, you will pass a bridge linking the Serangan Island and south of Denpasar. It takes you around 15 minutes drive to reach the temple.

As usual, the religious ritual will attract lots of foreign visitors. The ritual will provide an unprecedented opportunity for foreign travelers to witness how local Hindu followers perform their ritual. Local Hindu followers will walk, saying prayers in procession and cross the ocean by chartered boat before reaching the Sakenan Temple.

To the Balinese Hindu followers, the Kuningan Day is a time for commemoration as the ancestors return to heaven after dwelling on earth for ten days and when the Balinese say thanks to the gods for his mercy to the human races. Every village in Bali will celebrate Kuningan in grand style, with several parts of Bali Island holding colorful festivals.

The bamboo pole or locally called penjor, which has been erected at the front of each house compound's entrance gate since a day before Galungan is redecorated by taking down the white clothes and substituted with the yellow clothes, symbolizing the prosperity.

Despite the lingering crisis, Bali remains the world's most favorite tourism destination due to its wealth of culture and natural beauty. Kuningan Day offers one of Bali's top tourism attractions. So, don't miss Kuningan Day when you visit Bali.