Excalibur in Bali
Two Long-Lost Sacred Keris (Swords) Receive a Homecoming Welcome to Bali.

Two priceless keepsakes of Bali’s ancient kingdoms of Klungkung and Gelgel have made a brief and very emotional homecoming to mark the 100th anniversary of the Puputan sacrifice on April 28, 2008.

On a 100 year-long journey from Bali, Holland, Jakarta and now back to Bali – two priceless bejeweled ceremonial swords or keris have been given a memorial tour of their “old home” in Bali. So revered are the two Keris that each bears it own name – Ardawaike for the sword from the Klungkung Palace and Tombake Ki Baru Gudug for the weapon from the Gelgel Palace.

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The Bali Kite Festival is an annual international kite festival held in July in Padang Galak area, Sanur Beach, Bali. Traditional giant kites (4 meters in width and almost 10 meters in length) are made and flown competitively by teams from the villages (banjar) of Denpasar. The event is a seasonal religious festival intended to send a message to the Hindu Gods to create abundant crops and harvests.

Bebean (fish-shaped), Janggan (bird-shaped) and Pecukan (leaf-shaped) are three traditional kites flown during this kite festival. The kites are flown by teams of 10 or more adult kitefliers. The Bebean is the largest kite, and looks like a broad-mouthed, split-tailed fish. The Janggan form has a broad flowing cloth tail that can reach more than 100 meters in length. The Pecukan requires the most skill to fly, as its unstable form often tumbles towards the ground. Red, white and black are traditional colours used in the kite’s designs. Each type of traditional kite has its own competition, with heats of 10 teams vying for the best launch and longest flight. Sometimes the kites come down over the adjacent rice paddies, and the team members have to dash through the paddy to rescue the kite before it lands in the water.

A competition is also held for ‘New Creation’ kites which may include detailed three dimensional figures representing the Hindu Gods or sponsorship kites. Traditional and new creation kites are constructed from bamboo and cotton cloth.

In the dry season of June through August, the winds blow continually from east to west in most of Indonesia. Balinese children and adults fly kites in the vacant rice paddies during this period.

A gamelan orchestra plays music throughout the festival. The festival attracts many tourists and international kitefliers, along with many local spectators.

Pangerebongan is a traditional ceremony that aims to protect people especially for them who live around of Kesiman village from disease, disasters, and others bad things. Most people of Kesiman pu much faith in the efficacy of Pegerebongan ceremony that is the reason why Pangerebongan is held. Other people do not know this reason. Surprisingly, they, who do not know the reason, keep this ritual alive by come and join to this ritual.

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The sacred abuang dance began around 10 AM but the preparation of the ceremony that involved cooking and preparing the stage and musical instruments started around 7 AM. Around 9 AM, Tenganan children arrived in the venue of the ceremony with their finest geringsing cloths and beautiful gold jewelries. Around 10 AM the Tenganans girls arrived, their geringsing cloths and gold jewelries surpassed the beauty of their junior cloth and jewelries. After the girls took their place in the venue of the ceremony, the sacred Abuang dance was begun.

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Makepung or bull race is the only spectacular crowd-gather event that is held in Jembrana Regency. Even the regency itself is nick named after this sport event, Bumi Makepung or Land of Bull Race. The annual makepung competion (Governor Cup) was held on Sunday, November 18, 2007, at Delod Berawah beach Jembrana Regency. Here are few snapshots from the spectacular race

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