Balinese flock to shopping centers during Galungan

DENPASAR: Bali residents enjoyed their Galungan holiday Thursday by flocking to several popular shopping centers and malls in downtown Denpasar and Kuta.

Streams of people were seen entering Matahari Duta Plaza, Tiara Dewata and Ramayana Bali Mall, all in downtown Denpasar, throughout the day. Similar surges of visitors were also seen at Bali Galeria Mall, Discovery Mall and Carrefour hypermarket in Kuta.

The island is on a three-day local holiday to celebrate Galungan, a major Balinese Hindu festival that fell on Wednesday. The holiday started a day before Galungan and runs until a day after the festival.

The day after Galungan is known locally as Manis Galungan, during which Balinese Hindus visit their relatives in the morning and recreation spots in the afternoon. - JP