Very fortunate to arrive in Bali the day before one of the biggest festivals on the Hindu calendar. Held every very 210 days (based on the Balinese Pawukon Cycle), Hindu Balinese celebrate ‘Banyu Pinaruh’ – a day of ritual cleansing and celebration in the waters of the Indonesian island.
Balinese flock to beaches, rivers, lakes and springs before dawn to greet the sun, bathe to purify the body and soul, say prayers and make offerings to celebrate the coming of knowledge to the world.
‘Banyu Pinaruh’ (Banyu means ‘water’, Pinaruh ‘wisdom’) is held the day following Saraswati Day which celebrates Sanghyang Saraswati, the manifestation of God, the goddess of knowledge, science and the arts.
Below is just one image from the essay – the complete work may be found on my website here or alternatively on the ‘fotostrada’ web site here .
This essay was made at Sanur Beach whilst I was staying at the sublime Tandjung Sari hotel.
© Image – Brian Cassey
