GALUNGAN AND KUNINGAN
Bali Galungan and Kuningan is a major Hindu holiday in Bali, and many Hindus visit the temple on this day to pray and seek blessings from God and its manifestations. Galungan and Kuningan Day is a holiday to celebrate the victory of Good (Dharma) over Evil (Adharma) in which Balinese people will pray to large temples and family temples to commemorate the Galungan and Kuningan holiday. It is held every six months according to the Balinese calendar, with one month having 35 days, and on the Hindu holiday of Galungan in Bali. This is a very universal celebration, with all Hindus in Bali, regardless of caste, ethnicity, or class, participating. So, if you visit Bali during the Galungan and Kuningan holidays, you will see many Hindus praying to the temple. A very spiritual sight, where Hindus celebrate their special day by praying in temples.
SACRED CEREMONY TO CELEBRATE VICTORY OF DHARMA (GOODNESS) AGAINTS ADHARMA (BADNESS)
The definitions of Galungan and Kuningan
Galungan and Kuningan Ceremony is a holiday that is always celebrated by Hindus in Bali every six months based on the Balinese calendar, as for the fall of Galungan on Wednesday, Wuku Dungulan, and eleven days after Galungan will celebrate Kuningan Day, brass wuku. A holiday with the same meaning but celebrated on a different day. The meaning of the guling and brass holidays are as follows:
Meaning of Galungan: The word Galungan comes from the Old Javanese word wuku Dungulan, which means surrender to defeat, and it can be interpreted as a fight or war and the surrender of human enemies from the temptation of the Bhuttas Tiga, namely Bhuta Dungulan, Bhuta Galungan, and Bhuta Accurate. Galungan is also mentioned in an excerpt from Mpu Sedah’s marriage to Bharata Yudha, which contains the phrase “dungulaning machete,” which means the day of surrender to the defeat of human enemies. So Galungan can be interpreted as the day of the battle between good (humans) and evil (evil human nature), which is won by good and celebrated as Galungan Day.
Meaning of Kuningan: The word Kuningan comes from the word kauning, which means achieving spiritual elevation through introspection to avoid distress. Kuningan is usually celebrated eleven days after Galungan, and Kuningan Day, which falls on Saturday, Kliwon, Wuku Kuningan. Kuningan Day is a day of perception for Galungan as the victory of dharma over adharam, whose worship is aimed at the gods and gods and their manifestations so that they come down to the world to purify themselves and enjoy the offerings made in this prayer. Because it is believed that the Gods only come down to earth until noon on this day, the Kuningan Day ceremony and worship are only held until noon.
History of the Galungans
Galungan and Kuningan are very important days for Hindus in Bali because they celebrate the victory of Dharma over Adharma by praying at family temples and large temples such as Besakih, Lempuyang, Uluwatu, Tanah Lot, and others on Galungan day. Kuningan Day is also a very important day because it is believed that the gods come down to the world and sit in large temples on this day, and it is an opportunity for Hindus to worship and make offerings to the gods in order to be blessed and given a harmonious life. The origin of the Galungan and Kuningan holidays is unknown for certain, but it is based on research from inscriptions and lontar, as well as community stories that are widely circulated. The history that we can tell here is based on myths that circulate in the community about the Galungan holiday, as well as ancient lontar relics that are still stored and preserved.
Based on Myth: According to the Hindu motto, there was an evil king named Mayadenawa in ancient times, and this king had supernatural powers that he frequently used to commit crimes during his lifetime. Mayadenawa, believing himself to be the most powerful king, ordered his subjects to worship him and forbade them from worshiping the gods or visiting temples. Because of the nature of this evil king, a religious leader named Mpu Sangkul Putih meditated to seek guidance from God, and eventually he received instructions to travel to Java Dwipa or India to seek assistance, where he met Lord Indra, who controlled the weather. to assist Mpu Sangkul Putih in defeating Mayadenawa, and finally Mpu Sangkul Putih returned to Bali and fought a fierce battle with Mayadenawa, and with the help of the god of the senses, Mayadenawa was finally defeated, though the various cunning powers used by Mayadenawa against Mpu Sangkul Putih were defeated. This myth has a very deep meaning, in which all forms of evil are certain to be defeated by good, and humans are expected to always do good in order for life to be very harmonious.
According to Lontar: According to the Lontar Purana Bali Dwipa, if the Galungan holiday was first celebrated in 882 and mention If previously it was said that the Galungan day was held every year by the previous kings, until finally had stopped for years and causing many ruling kings to die at a young age, and at that time Bali was frequently hit by disasters which made the Balinese people suffer, until during the reign of King Sri Jayakasunu With that advice, King Jayakasunu also ordered his people to resume celebrating Galungan, so that the island of Bali would be spared from all disasters and the king would live a long life, and the Galungan holiday is still celebrated today.
For the First Time, Galungan
The origin of the Galungan holiday is difficult to determine, but we can trace it back to ancient relics, specifically the Balinese Dwipa Purana lontar, which states that Galungan Day was first celebrated on full moon kapat (Kliwon dungulan buddha) in 882 AD or sakan year 804. According to the lontar, “Punang Aci Galungan Ika Ngawit, Bu, Ka, Dungulan sasih Kacatur, 15th, Isaka 804.” “Bangun Indria Buwana Ikang Bali Rajya,” which translates as “Galungan Feast Celebration.” First and foremost, it is Wednesday Kliwon, Wuku Dungulan, Sasih Kapat in the year 804 Saka. The situation on the island of Bali is similar to that of Indra Loka. The lontar is similar to a holy guide and library that Hindus keep as a guide from ancient knowledge. We will not know what happened in ancient times unless we have lontar. In the Gregorian calendar, Galungan and Kuningan holidays are now celebrated twice a year. Hindus celebrate the arrival of the gods into the world by taking a palace in large temples and the opportunity to welcome the gods by praying.
Days of Galungan and Kuningan Philosophy
Galungan and Kuningan holidays are significant for Hindus in Bali. The philosophy of Galungan Day is to celebrate the victory of Dharma (goodness) over Adharma (evil) (Evil). Galungan Day’s meaning is to unite spiritual strength in order to achieve a calm mind and stance, which is a symbol of Dharma, and it is hoped that good and positive thoughts will triumph over lust and negative things, which are symbols of Adharma. While the Kuningan Day is to ask Gods, Bhatara, and other manifestations of God for safety, protection, and inner and outer guidance so that his people can live in complete harmony. As a result, Hindus in Bali are expected to always have positive thoughts in their lives, so that everything runs smoothly and happiness manifests itself. A very important holiday in guiding its people to the path of truth and always remembering the power of God Almighty. People who are unable to visit their family temple or a large temple can pray at Jagatnatha Temple.
