Every day is always a celebration for Balinese Hindus. But as the biggest and most important holidays, Galungan and Kuningan, are getting closer, the entire society is gearing up to perform a series of rituals and present ornate and elaborate offerings dedicated to welcoming ancestral spirits.

Galungan celebrates the victory of dharma (virtue) over adharma (vice). It is the time for the spirits of deceased relatives to return to their former homes. Their living relatives are obliged to prepare the best offerings, meals and decorations to please the visiting ancestral spirits.

Galungan and Kuningan are celebrated every 210 days, according to the Balinese lunar calendar. Galungan will fall next Wednesday on Oct. 23, while Kuningan will be observed ten days later on Nov. 2.

When it comes to preparing offerings and decorating houses and public places for religious celebrations, the Balinese know no price or economic boundary. Simplicity and modesty are being taken out of their dictionary.

Despite the rocketing price of staple foods, fruits and vegetables, all necessary in their offerings, the local people will find a way to get the goods, no matter what.

Meet Ni Nyoman Pula, a fruit cocktail vendor at a traditional market in Denpasar, who has spent millions of rupiah to hold a number of rituals for her family.

'€œOur family just held a wedding ceremony for our son and now we are ready to prepare offerings for Galungan and Kuningan,'€ Nyoman said, while arranging ample offerings for the Sugihan Jawa ritual on Thursday.

Sugihan Jawa marks the beginning of the Galungan celebrations. The ritual aims to cleanse the earth (bhuana agung) and was held on Wrhaspati Wage Wuku, six days before Galungan. Based on the Sundarigama lontar manuscript, Sugihan Jawa is celebrated as a purification of the deities, or bhatara.

During the ritual, families cleaned up ceremonial utensils, places of worship and the houses to be used for Galungan prayer and celebration.

On Friday (today), another ritual, Sugihan Bali, will be performed all over the island. Sugihan Bali is intended as purification of one'€™s self before performing any ritual.

'€œAll of the soaring prices for goods will not deter us [Balinese] from holding the celebrations in a proper and often lavish way,'€ Nyoman said.

Back in real life, the price of agricultural commodities is increasing sharply. Fruit prices, especially bananas, oranges and apples, are soaring uncontrollably.

Rice, flour, sugar, brown sugar, beans and green beans are all being sold at very high prices in traditional markets. Worst of all, Bali has to procure most of these commodities from Java and the neighboring islands of Lombok, Sumbawa and Sulawesi. Transportation costs have contributed to the rising price of these staple foods.

To ease people'€™s economic burden and to secure food supplies, the provincial agricultural office is ready to monitor and control the price of basic commodities.

In Denpasar, the mayoralty has organized a bazaar offering various commodities at bargain prices.

In Buleleng, the regional agricultural office has also organized a farmers'€™ market where people can buy fruit and vegetables at lower prices.

In his book entitled Yadnya dan Bhakti, Hindu scholar Ketut Wiana stated that Galungan essentially means that good will win over bad, victory over bad things.

'€œGalungan provides spiritual power for human beings to be able to distinguish acts of adharma or dharma, the voice of truth inside their souls.'€

But for the majority of Balinese people, Galungan is a time for joy and family gatherings.

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