Barong Landung at a Melasti Ceremony in Bali, Indonesia 31 Mar 2017
About this photo
Effigies of King Jaya Pangus and his wife, Kang Cing Wie, of China (known as Barong Landung) are paraded in the Melasti Ceremony in Bali, Indonesia. Based on a lunar calendar, Bali celebrates Saka New Year, with each month consisting of 30 days.
The Melasti Ceremony and Nyepi are festivals and celebrations of the Saka New Year. Both are purification rituals, the Melasti Ceremony is held before Nyepi (New Year's Eve) on beaches cleansing individuals from filth, sin and bad karma; Balinese people symbolically throw their past into the ocean.
Nyepi, also known as Bali’s Day of Silence, sees Balinese people have a 24-hour period of silence from 06.00am the morning of Nyepi to 06.00am the following day. Not only are the Balinese people silent, they fast and meditate, not setting foot outside of their homes. Visit Bali to celebrate their New Year on 28th March 2017 on any of Insight Guides’ Bali itineraries.
