Odalan & Purnama in Seminyak Bali

Each temple has a birthday, called an odalan, which according to the wuku calendar happens every 210 days. Full moon ceremonies called purnama, are important for Balinese, who use a lunar calendar. When there is a full moon in my neighborhood in Seminyak I can hear the gamelan music and singing going on late into the night. When driving around Bali you will come across temporary signs that say ‘Ada upacara agama Hindu’ (we have a Hindu ceremony). This will be located very close to someone’s house, in the case of a wedding, of close to a temple in the case of an odalan. Another indicator of a temple festival is the temple being decorated with carefully cut offerings.

A line of women walking down the road in procession carrying pyramids of fruit, rice cakes and flowers is an indication of a great event, possibly an odalan.