Odalan at Pura Taman Sari Padangtegal on Jl. Hanuman Ubud Bali

My guest house, Puri Jati, is located in the middle of Jl. Hanuman, one of the north-south streets in Ubud. As I came home after eating dinner at Nomad I couldn&#39t resist taking a look at the ceremony at the bottom of the street. I saw a road block earlier on and wondered what the occasion was. The pacalang (banjar traffic-control ) had blocked off the street and there was a highly decorated pavilion set up in the street. A gamalen orchestra sat in the middle of the street outside a temple, Pura Taman Sari Padangtegal. A series of dancers, featuring Barong, the scary lion-like beast, a female group of dancers wearing masks, somewhat similar to Baris dancers and a dance with 2 female dancers taking it in turn to address each other over a microphone.

Standing watching I saw maybe 4 tourists and about 100 locals. It so great to see this cultural tradition taking place and the mythology behind it being brought to life. Balinese Hinduism is one big good vs. evil play and the highly decorated dancers and scary monsters help to instill this. It was great to see the young kids peering over the wall checking out the drama.

Unlike the version of Hinduism practiced in India, Balinese Hinduism does not usually feature the monkey god Hanuman. In one dance 2 Barongs sat side by side and a Hanuman character danced and made fun of them. Maybe the location on Jl. Hanuman has some relevance. The whole ceremony was part of the temple&#39s odalan (birthday) and it was great to be able to just walk up and watch. Amazing really, I’ve been in Ubud less than a day and I have already been to one elaborate ceremony, been invited to a wedding and live in a place where locals are walking around in traditional costume. Ubud is a place were the culture is alive and well.