The Wuku calendar: The first Balinese calendar
Bali has 2 calendars, the wuku or pawukon which was used by the Bali Aga and the saka calendar which was imported from India during the Majapahit empire. The wuku calendar has a 210 day cycle and is based on the cycle of the moon.
The wuku calendar is dived into weeks (wuku) and does not follow astronomical guidelines other than the lunar cycle. It has 10 simultaneous weeks and the most important is the 7-day week. The names of the days are like the western calendar, named after planets: Sunday (redite), the Sun; Monday (soma), the Moon; Tuesday (anggara), Mars; Wednesday (budda), Mercury; Thursday (wrestpati), Jupiter; Friday (sukra), Venus; Saturday (sanistjara), Saturn.
The wuku calendar has 30 7-day weeks a year, each with a different name. Parallel and simultaneous to the 7-day week are the other 9 weeks which are:
1-day week (elowara) each day is called luang.
2-day week (duwiwara) the days are called m’ga and p’pat.
3-day week (triwara) the days are called paseh, beteng, kadjeng.
4-day week (tjaturwara) the days are called sri, laba, djaya, mandala.
5-day week (pantajawara) the days are called manis, paing, pon, wage, klion.
6-day week (sadwara) the days are called tungleh, ariang, urukung, paniron, was, maulu.
7-day week (saptawara) the days are called redite, soma, annggara, budda, wrespati, sukra, sanistjara.
8-day week (astawara) the days are called sri, indra, guru, yama, ludra, brahma, kala, uma.
9-day week (sangawara) danggu, djangur, gigis, nohan, ogan, erengan, urungan, tulus, dadi.
10-day week (dasawara) penita, pati, suka, duka, sri, manu, menusa, eradja, dewa, raksasa.
This calendar is used for determining dates for ceremonies.
By Nick | Permalink
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Comments
Hi Tracey,
Its arriving around the end of the month. Will be nice if its a natural birth.
G’Day Nick,
Sure makes our Gregorian calendar look more appealing. Having said that, I find the Wuku calendar fascinating even though hard to follow at times. Excellent article!.
End of the month eh for the birth of little Nick. I hope you are going to be there for the delivery mate. What you gotta do is treat it like a baseball game - you are the keeper, Ika the pitcher, and, when the baby comes flying down the chute ya gotta catch the wee bairn. Then, the nurse shouts ‘Strike One!’. There ya have it mate. Just don’t faint!
Barrie, if only it was a simple pitch… But not so!
Nick, I hope it is natural too, got the names chosen yet or are you still deliberating?
I am over this fat feeling & the waddling ain’t much fun either!
Are we going to be getting action shots????
We are working on names. I will take some photos for sure.
names of wuku: sinta,landep,ukir,kulantir,taulu,gumbreg,wariga,warigadean,julungwangi,sungsang,dungulan,kuningan,langkir,medangsia,pujut,pahang,klurut,merakir,tambir,medangkungan,matal,uye,menail,perangbakat,bala,ugu,wayang,kelawu,dukut,watugunung…wuku will come every 210 days.in bali we call 1 oton…
Nick, what is the due date for your baby?
Or is Ika having a C/section?
Best of luck….
Tracey!