Wednesday, June 4, 2014

CALENDAR OF EVENTS – JUNE 2014

Pemendakan – June 1
Translating to “welcoming,” Pemendakan is a welcoming procession for the deities. Festivities are held starting from the Sakenan temple to Denpasar, to Pura Sakenan in Serangan Island, south of Denpasar, in the afternoon. There are also temple anniversary celebrations held on the day at: Pura Datem Pauman Bhujangga in Penatih village, east of Denpasar; Pura Alas Arum in Batur village, district of Kintamani, Bangli regency; Pura Batuaji, Ubung Tengah village, west of Denpasar; Pura Dalem Buleleng, downtown of Singaraja; and Pura Dalem Jagaraga village, district of Sawan, Buleleng regency. No matter where you go to get a glimpse of the ceremonies taking place, you can be sure to be impressed with the usual displays of colorful offerings, ceremonial clothes, Balinese prayer services, and entrancing gamelan music Bali is famed for.

June 8 – Ngerebong
One of the most well-known religious ceremonies in the world – worshippers gather at the royal temple in the Kesiman village, east of Denpasar, for a day-long communion between the Hindu gods, nature, and humankind. Starting with rituals to summon Hindu spirits back to earth, the festivities escalate until they work themselves into a mass trance. Wearing elaborate costumes to invoke the gods and escape their bodies, groups of the temple adherents in trance stab
themselves with the “keris” dagger in their necks and chests, without drawing even a drop of blood. In the day a cockfight is held for “Tabuh Rah” ritual (blood shedding) to please underworld spirits during the ceremony. The ceremony is more than 100 years old, and takes place every 210 days – the length of a traditional Balinese year.

June 11 – July 9 – Bali Arts Festival
Balinese culture is well-known worldwide for its rich arts & crafts traditions – and for a whole month, the arts scene comes alive with special showcases at the Bali Arts Festival – or as known traditionally, Pesta Kesenian Bali. Centered at the Bali Arts Center in Denpasar, visitors can view daily performance of dance and music along countless exhibitions featuring both contemporary and traditional shows of local creativity and talent. A real grassroots affair, the festival is organized with villages selecting performers to send to regional selection committees – the chosen carrying on to dazzle festival attendees with their special shows of the beauty of Balinese cultural arts. 

June 12-13 – Fifa World Cup Brazil
The heat is getting intense around the globe as the biggest sports event of the year draws near. Known as soccer to some, and football to others around the world – regardless of what you call it, few team sports have been able to arouse the masses into such massive displays of support and competitive spirit than the focus of the World Cup, this year taking place in Brazil. It’s a showdown of the world’s best players that’s bound to draw groups of cheering fans everywhere – and you can be sure that there are plenty of venues around the island here catering to those supporting their favorite teams. Whether in Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur, or elsewhere – be on the lookout for the buzz of “oohs” and “aahs” coming from TV-lined bars and restaurants along the main tourist strips, and head on in for a Bintang while watching another special round of sports history in action. 

June 21 – Summer/Winter Solstice
It’s that day when one season moves into another… For many, known as Summer Solstice – the 21st welcomes the warm summer months in the northern hemisphere; meanwhile, the day welcomes the colder months of the year, bringing in winter in the south. While Bali may technically be in the southern hemisphere, fear not the Winter Solstice – for we’re thankfully close enough to the equator to escape the cold and maintain our sun & warmth year-round. 

June 27 – Younger Next Year Asia Summit
Those into cultivating their health may share in some special excitement, as some of the greats of the fitness and wellness world gather at the Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali for he Younger Next Year Asia Summit. Featuring Chris Crowley, author of the New York Best-Seller “Younger Next Year,” global celebrity fitness coach and host of The Biggest Loser – most popular TV show in Australia – Shannan Ponton, and a host of other wellness heavyweights – attendees of the summit can hear world-class speakers talking on subjects ranging from future-proofing your brain to the latest in stem cell therapy alongside exhibition booths featuring informative and interesting health products and services for you to discover. A must-attend for anyone taking a keen interest in the well-being of both themselves and others. 

June 21 – Summer/Winter Solstice
It’s that day when one season moves into another… For many, known as Summer Solstice – the 21st welcomes the warm summer months in the northern hemisphere; meanwhile, the day welcomes the colder months of the year, bringing in winter in the south. While Bali may technically be in the southern hemisphere, fear not the Winter Solstice – for we’re thankfully close enough to the equator to escape the cold and maintain our sun & warmth year-round.

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