Full moon ritual at Besakih

DENPASAR: Balinese Hindus will conduct the Ida Batara Turun Kabeh festival Monday at 9 a.m. at the Besakih mother temple in Rendang, Karangasem. Thousands of Hindu adherents from across the island are expected to flock to the largest temple complex in Bali.

Ida Batara Turun Kabeh, which literally means all gods descend to the earth, is an annual ceremony held on the tenth full moon in the Balinese calendar.

The Balinese believe that during the ceremony all the spiritual benefactors, deities and protectors of the island will convene in Besakih to witness and accept the homage offered by their mortal subjects. It is one of the most important religious events in the island.

On Saturday, around 3,000 devotees participated in the Melasti ritual, during which the temple paraphernalia and sacred effigies were consecrated in a natural spring at Tegal Suci, 2 kilometers from Besakih. On Sunday, various sacrificial animals were escorted in a parade in the temple's outer yard in Mapepada ritual. The animals will be sacrificed during the Ida Batara Turun Kabeh. - JP