My final day in Sanur coincided with the ceremonies to mark the three day start of the Nepyi celebration. This evening crowds of Balinese Hindus gathered in their white outfits on the beach, spreading as far as the eye could see, from tiny babies to elderly women.
Dotted along the beach were enormous ‘altars’ of gold, silver, red, full of sculptures and masks of ward and wonderful puppets, massive figures with distorted features.
Throughout the day locals had been throwing offerings into the sea, so the air was full of the smell of incense, and flowers floated in the shallows. At sunset prayers began (watching from the sidelines, I was amused to see among the worshippers many on mobile phones, texting away, and others smoking heavily between throwing up their hands in prayer).
The holy water was liberally distributed, and then the altars, as if by magic, were lifted on a wave of hands, and the procession began. Above the crowds luminous figures carried aloft marched through the town, surrounded by colourful umbrellas and lit by lamps.
It was a truly magical end to a beautiful place. Tomorrow I leave for Gill Air, but as I cycled back under the stars watching the superb red glow of the evening sky fade into darkness, I wish I was staying here, where for the first time since leaving home I have felt relaxed and ‘at home’.
Dotted along the beach were enormous ‘altars’ of gold, silver, red, full of sculptures and masks of ward and wonderful puppets, massive figures with distorted features.
Throughout the day locals had been throwing offerings into the sea, so the air was full of the smell of incense, and flowers floated in the shallows. At sunset prayers began (watching from the sidelines, I was amused to see among the worshippers many on mobile phones, texting away, and others smoking heavily between throwing up their hands in prayer).
The holy water was liberally distributed, and then the altars, as if by magic, were lifted on a wave of hands, and the procession began. Above the crowds luminous figures carried aloft marched through the town, surrounded by colourful umbrellas and lit by lamps.
It was a truly magical end to a beautiful place. Tomorrow I leave for Gill Air, but as I cycled back under the stars watching the superb red glow of the evening sky fade into darkness, I wish I was staying here, where for the first time since leaving home I have felt relaxed and ‘at home’.
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