Bali has thousands of temples, so chances are high that you’ll come across one during your visit – especially if you join our EMPOWER Bali retreat, as it falls on the full moon.

Every village has three sacred places of worship, and there are literally thousands of temples on the island. During every 210-day cycle, these ceremonies will be celebrated once. Special ceremonies, religious dances, and temple outings are common during a full moon. Bali is incredible during the time of the full moon, when the island is usually in a state of frenzy, due to special ceremonies, increased temple activity, and sacred dances.. such an amazing time to be in Bali!

The Balinese people believe that planting fruit crops on Purnama is beneficial. They believe that Purnama is a favourable day to plant things in the garden, particularly fruits. The reason that having a bountiful harvest the following year is due to Purnama.

Bali’s Full Moon ceremony is all about getting ready…

On every corner of the island, you will see people working hard to make sure the Full Moon Festival is memorable and exciting. Mothers and children were making flower decorations, handicrafts, and sweet cakes with rice… a fantastic time to really immerse yourself in Balinese culture.

The Bali full moon meal

Balinese men prepare a meat dish typical of the region. All of these would be sacrificed to the gods.

The temples are absolutely beautiful and adorned with golden (yellow) fabrics and the pictures of the Gods are properly dressed for the event.

All of the temples in Bali prepare for the full moon ceremony. All members must complete their tasks before the full moon ceremony to make everything ready for the event.

What happened during Bali’s Full Moon Ceremony?

People usually come to the temples in processions accompanied by music and bring their gifts to the temples in the last hours of the afternoon, when the sun has already started to go down and the temperature is a bit more pleasant.

Women place these offerings on top of their heads and place them at strategic points in the temples.

There is a fantastic Bali full moon ceremony in the Temple of Insight on the shore of Canggu, very nearby to our retreat!

The gifts are blessed with holy water by the Pemangku (the priest). After the ceremony, the pilgrims ask for blessings and take home the offerings to share with their families. During the full moon ceremony, the Gods absorb the essence from these gifts and leave what they do not need for the people.

On the big temple of Pura Besakih, parishioners eat and celebrate with family and friends in the temple. It’s an interesting sight to see a “party” happening inside a religious building.

Join our EMPOWER Women’s Only Yoga and Empowerment Retreat from 6-12^th November 2022. Click here to find out more.