B

alinese Hindus across the island erected penjor (decorated bamboo pole) Tuesday to celebrate the upcoming Galungan festival, the Hindu religion's most joyous festival that falls this Wednesday.

Known as the festival of victory, during which Balinese Hindus commemorate the victory of Dharma (virtue) over Adharma (vice), Galungan is celebrated once every six months.

Youths congregated in front of their family homes, weaving young coconut leaves into various decorative forms for the penjor. They wrapped the bamboo pole in strips of coconut leaves before attaching colorful, fresh leaves around its base, various fruits and crackers around its middle section, and a rectangular cloth bearing the sacred syllables "OM" around its upper section. A long cord made out of bamboo ropes, coconut leaves and stalks of rice, tied the upper tip of the bamboo pole to an elaborate sampian crown, made out of palmyra leaves.

Once the youth finished making the penjor, they erected it in front of the compound's main gate.

Legend has it the first penjor was erected by the Balinese to welcome celestial armies after their decisive battle against king Mayadanawa (the demon of illusion).

It is said that Mayadanawa prohibited the Balinese from worshipping gods and from conducting any religious rituals. When the Balinese sought celestial assistance to fight the king, heaven sent Lord Indra to lead the celestial army. Mayadanawa was defeated after a prolonged battle, which was immortalized in the names of several villages in Gianyar regency, such as Batubulan, Manukaya and Tampaksiring.

It is the victory of those celestial deities that the festival celebrates.

Yet penjor is more than just a celebration of a successful military campaign. It is also a tribute to gratitude.

"The shape of penjor bears a striking resemblance to the dragon's tail. Balinese believe that two dragons, Basuki and Anantaboga, reside in the island to ensure a constant supply of crops for its human inhabitants," scholar Ketut Sumarta said.