Galungan

Galungan is one of the most important days in the Balinese Hindu calendar. It celebrates the victory of dharma (good) over adharma (evil) and marks the time when the spirits of deified ancestors are believed to return to the family home. Because it follows the 210-day pawukon cycle rather than the solar year, it usually falls twice every 12 months; the next Galungan is on Wednesday 13 January 2027.

For visitors it is one of the most photogenic times to be on the island. In the days before, households raise penjor, tall, arching bamboo poles decorated with woven coconut leaves, fruit and rice, so that entire village roads become tunnels of swaying decorations.

About the event

The build-up begins days earlier: Penyekeban and Penyajaan are spent preparing offerings and cakes, and on Penampahan, the day before Galungan, pigs are slaughtered for ceremonial feasts such as lawar and babi guling. On Galungan itself families dress in white and ceremonial clothes and visit their family temple, village temples and relatives.

What to see

Penjor-lined streets, especially in Ubud, Penestanan, Mas and Sidemen

Processions of families carrying offering towers to temple

Barong dancers going door to door in some villages in the following days (ngelawang)

Etiquette & dress

Wear a sarong and sash and cover shoulders and knees if you enter a temple.

Never step on offerings (canang) on the ground, and do not walk in front of people who are praying.

Ask before photographing people in ceremonial dress, and keep a respectful distance from processions.

Women who are menstruating are traditionally asked not to enter temples.

Before you go

Some shops, warungs and family-run businesses close or shorten hours, and staff take leave to return to home villages, expect slower service and book tours in advance.

Main temples such as Besakih, Tirta Empul and Uluwatu become busy with worshippers; arrive early and give way to people praying.

Village areas like Ubud and Sidemen offer the most atmospheric streetscapes.

Traffic is heavier as families travel between villages.

Combine it with

The Galungan–Kuningan period is a good time to base yourself in Ubud and explore nearby villages by bicycle or with a driver: Penestanan and Sayan for penjor-lined lanes, the stone-carving village of Batubulan, or Tirta Empul in Tampaksiring, where worshippers queue to bathe in the holy springs. Evening dance performances at Ubud Palace and other stages continue during the festive period. If you are hiring a driver, ask them about their own family’s preparations, many Balinese are happy to explain what the offerings mean, and it makes the experience far richer than simply watching from the roadside.

Galungan opens a ten-day festive period that ends with Kuningan on Saturday 23 January 2027.