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Galungan and Kulingan

We arrived in Bali just in time for one of the most important religious celebrations: Galungan. This day commemorates the triumph of Dharma over Adharma -- good over evil. It's a Hindu holiday similar to Diwali in India. At this time the souls of deceased ancestors return for a visit and it involves many trips to the temples with prayers and offerings to welcome them back no matter what you may have thought of them when they were alive. The celebration happens every 210 days and goes on until Kulingan, 10 days later, when the ancestors return 'home', so to speak.

Every household spends days creating penjors such as this one. The basic material of a penjor is a curved bamboo pole which is then decorated with harvested foods such as rice, coconuts and other delights.