Odalan: The Anniversary Festival of a Balinese Temple
Odalan: the anniversary festival of a Balinese temple
An odalan is the anniversary festival of a Balinese temple. Each temple keeps its own date, and because the island has a very large number of temples, a festival is taking place somewhere on Bali for much of the year. For a visitor, an odalan is one of the most rewarding ways to see Balinese religious life up close, because the whole community takes part. Families prepare offerings, worshippers carry baskets piled high with food and flowers to the temple, and the day usually brings prayers, processions and preparation that starts well before the festival itself. Visitors who wish to attend need to understand how the date is set, how long the celebration may last, what the temple is decorated with, and how to behave as a guest.
How the date of an odalan is fixed
Odalan timing follows the Pawukon, a 210-day cycle. A temple’s anniversary falls on the same position of that cycle each time, so the date moves through the Western calendar from year to year. This is why a temple’s festival can fall on a different day each year, and why a date printed in an old guidebook is not a reliable guide for a future trip.
Because 210 days is shorter than a Western year, a temple’s odalan comes around roughly twice a year, and the Western dates drift a little each time. The same temple may therefore hold its festival in one part of the year and then, a few months later, hold it again. Each temple has its own schedule, so a date that applies to one temple cannot be used for another.
The dates are known well in advance within the community. The families who look after a temple know when its anniversary is due, and the preparations are visible in the village for days beforehand. A visitor who asks at the right time will usually be given a clear answer.
How long the festival lasts
The length of an odalan depends on the size of the temple. Smaller village temples may finish in a single day, while the bigger and more famous temples can stretch their celebrations over three, seven or even eleven days. Some festivals include grand processions, traditional performances and several days of preparation before the main ceremony.
The largest temples, which draw worshippers from many villages, therefore call for the most planning. A visitor who wants to see the main ritual should expect the day to be long and often hot, and should arrive early enough to find a place to watch without getting in the way.
Preparing the temple and the village
In the days before the event the temple is cleaned, its walls and shrines are repaired where needed, and the courtyard is decorated. Tall curved bamboo poles, called penjor, are raised along the approach to the temple and along the lanes of the village. Penjor can reach about ten metres, and they are hung with young coconut leaves, coloured paper, lantern-shaped ornaments made of dried palm leaves and bunches of rice stalks. Fruit, rice and root vegetables are also often hung from them.
Penjor are a familiar sight on the island in the period before Galungan, the celebration that recurs every 210 days. Families traditionally set them up by the entrance to the home, usually the night before the festival. A visitor who walks towards a temple in the days before an odalan will often see the poles standing in a line along the road, and they are one of the clearest signs that a festival is close.
The making of the decorations is itself part of the preparation. Young coconut leaves are woven into ornaments, and families often work together in the days before the event. Newer decorations sometimes use synthetic materials, but many people now return to natural materials for the poles.
The offerings and the procession
The centre of an odalan is the offering. Families prepare offerings of fresh fruit, cakes, flowers and decorations, and the gebogan, a tall tower of fruit and cakes, is among the most striking. Women arrange the flowers and fruit, and the making of the offerings is part of the act of worship. Baskets piled high with food and flowers are carried to the temple, and the offerings are placed on the shrines once the ritual begins.
The procession moves from the village to the temple in a long line. Music accompanies the walk, and the arrival at the temple is marked by prayers. The priest leads the ritual, while the worshippers sit in the courtyard and take part in the prayers.
The ritual then continues for several hours, with more prayers, music and dance. The formal part of the day is usually followed by a shared meal, in which families and neighbours eat together. Visitors are sometimes invited to join, but this is a matter for the host family to decide.
Music, dance and the wider festival
Odalan are often accompanied by music, and the sound of the gamelan, the traditional ensemble of metallophones, gongs and drums, is one of the defining features of Balinese ceremonial life. Many temples also stage dances, which may be performed by trained dancers or by young people from the village. The music and dance mark the stages of the day and give the festival its character.
The wider festival can include theatre and other cultural events. These are not held at every temple, but when they are, they add a lively layer to the day. A visitor who attends in the evening may see a performance that runs late into the night.
What visitors should wear and how to behave
Dress modestly at every temple. Cover your shoulders and knees, and wear a sarong and a sash. Most temples will lend you what you need for a small donation, so you do not have to bring your own. The sash is tied at the waist, and voices are kept low once you are inside the temple grounds.
Keep to the edges of the courtyard, and do not walk into the middle of the ritual space while prayers are in progress. Do not touch the offerings, and do not step over them. If you are invited to sit in a shaded spot, accept, and stay where you are placed. Photographs are often welcome, but ask first, particularly when people are praying. Put the camera away if you are asked to.
Remember that an odalan belongs to the community that looks after the temple. Attending is a privilege rather than an entitlement, and the people who are working, praying and preparing food are the hosts of the day. Let them tell you what is happening, and follow any directions from the family or the temple staff.
How a visitor can find out whether a temple is holding an odalan
The simplest way is to ask. Speak to the family at a nearby compound, a local guide or the caretaker of the temple, and ask whether an odalan is due during your stay. Many families will tell you the date and may invite you to attend. Some hotels and tour desks can help too, but a direct question in the village usually gives the most reliable answer.
Look also for the signs of preparation: the making of offerings in the courtyards, the cleaning of the temple, the raising of the penjor poles, the arrival of relatives and the sound of rehearsals. A visitor who notices these signs in the days before a visit can ask about the festival with more confidence, and can plan a route that leaves room to stay for the main ritual if the family is happy to host.
Galungan and the wider ceremonies
Galungan is the island-wide celebration that recurs every 210 days, and its poles are one of the most visible parts of the year. The ceremonies hub sets out the wider system of rites that organises Balinese life, and it is the best place to start if you want to understand how the temple anniversaries fit into the larger rhythm of the year. Reading about Galungan helps explain why penjor appear along the roads at certain times, and why an odalan can coincide with other festivals on the same island.
Reading the festival well
An odalan is one of the best ways to see Balinese religion in its living form. It brings together the whole community, and it gives a visitor a chance to watch the offerings, the music and the dance in their proper setting. The day is long and often hot, so plan to arrive early, eat lightly and stay for the main ritual if you have been invited to do so.
Approach the festival as a guest. Dress with care, keep your distance from the ritual, ask before you photograph, and let the community show you what they are doing. Those who come in this spirit are often welcomed warmly, and the experience of seeing a temple come alive for its anniversary is one that stays with a visitor long after the trip is over.
Related pages to read next
Pages on the Galungan festival and the odalan temple anniversary cover the same calendar from different angles. The five categories of offering explain what the offerings are for, and Tumpek Wariga is another occasion on the calendar worth knowing about.
Related guides: pesta kesenian bali, tedung, bade cremation tower.