Contents:

Bali Travel Guidebook:
Special Days: Kajeng Kliwon

Introduction
Background on Bali
Activities & Tours
Language
Climate & Clothing
Money
Shopping
Health
Balinese Culture
   Special Days
      Galungan
      Kuningan
      Odalan
      Kajeng Kliwon
      Tumpek Landep
      Purnama
      (Full Moon)
      Tilem
      (New Moon)
      Nyepi (Balinese
        New Year)

Every fifteen days on the Balinese calendar, a three-day cycle (Pasah, Galang Tegeh, and Kajeng) and a five-day cycle (Umanis, Paing, Pon, Wage and Kliwon) end as the day called Kajeng Kliwon. On this day extra offerings are made in the house compound, and offerings are placed at the front entrance gate on the ground, burning a coconut husk to provide smoke.

Being an especially important day for both the positive and negative aspects of the world, Kajeng Kliwon is an appropriate day for the Balinese to offer more to God, with their extra offerings given in prayer. Many temple festivals also coincide with this day on the calendar, and one can find the village priest or pemangku making a large number of offerings inside the temple, with sandalwood chips burnt to send a fragrant smoke wafting up to God.

Kajeng Kliwon is also a particularly dangerous day to be bothered by evil spirits. The offerings placed on the ground are offerings to appease these spirits, usually done late in the afternoon on this day.

Offerings are also made to any objects that are considered to have magical properties. Many masks, including the Barong and Rangda masks of the village temple, need special offerings, as well as the Wayang Kulit puppets that are used for ceremonies, and the holy books or lontar.

On Kajeng Kliwon the superstitious nature of the Balinese is much more evident, where it is believed that you should not pick any produce on this day, it being detrimental to the health of the plant as well as the consumer.

Some of the offerings made in the house compound are small woven baskets filled with glutinous rice. These are then collected to make a delicious meal in the evening called tipat. The baskets are cut open and the steamed rice is diced and mixed with vegetables and peanut sauce and served up to the family.

[next - for information on Tumpek Landep]

Thispage was last updated on November 8, 2000