Pagerwesi

Hoist the penjors and dance to the gamelan! Its Pagerwesi!

Indonesia Bali . Kuta. Penjor Poles by pjwar, on Flickr

When: Every 210 days. November 23rd 2011, June 20th 2012.
Where: Bali, Indonesia.

Pagerwesi is a Balinese Hindu occasion day devoted to ancestors, the main celebration of a new Balinese lunar calendar year. With a name that literally means “iron fence”, it symbolises fortification against evil and is especially heralded in North Bali.

Penjors (tall, extravagantly decorated bamboo poles) are raised outside homes, alongside offerings to the dead of flowers and fruit. Pigs and chicken are killed and cooked for extravagant feasts and traditional masked dances are held accompanied by the sound of the gamelan (an Indonesian musical band made up of xylophones, drums, gongs and bamboo flutes).

Pagerwesi falls every 210 days based on the Balinese lunar calendar. Pagerwesi falls on November 23rd 2011 and on June 20th 2012.

Have you experienced Pagerwesi in Bali yourself? If so, please tell us all about it! You can share your pics and videos on our facebook page too! Or if you just want to say hi, or leave a comment for any other reason, we’d love to hear from you.

Food & Drink

Eat Satay, try our recipe for Pork or Chicken Satay. Drink Arak, a Balinese liquor which is distilled from tuak, a sweet wine made from the coconut palm flower.

Travel to Bali

Travel to Northern Bali, Indonesia (the festival passes with relatively little attention paid to it in South Bali). Bali Ngurah Rai International airport also known as Denpasar International airport, is located in southern Bali. There are plans for a new airport in Northern Bali for completion soon. Book flights and hotels with ebookers.com. You may need to search for flights and hotels separately.

Dates / venues may be subject to change or cancellation. Distances may be straight-line estimates. Please verify information before booking.

Enjoy your trip! And when you’re home we’d love you to come back and tell us all about it!