Discovering Bali's Arts and Culture

The odalan is a traditional Balinese temple ceremony to inaugurate or sanctify a holy place as a place of worship.

But more than just a ceremony, it is also a form of entertainment for the young and old. A voice-actor sits on the side or behind the audience and narrates the story as well as the speeches for the various actors on-stage who only use mime. The story, usually taken from the traditional Hindu stories, is accompanied by the gamelan orchestra. Dancers and musicians work together to prepare a spectacle of two or three hours that is free to watch.

I had the honorable opportunity to watch one of these on the first day after arriving in Bali introduced to me by Tjokorda Raka, a member of the Royal Palace of Ubud and sat on stage eating and drinking with the artists. 

13/9/2025