Experience Bali's Spiritual Side: Muslim-Friendly Activities During Galungan Day

The "Island of the Gods,” Bali always impresses visitors from all over the world with its beautiful traditions and spiritual atmosphere. Tourists can have a truly special spiritual experience in Bali when the Galungan celebrations happen. In 2025, Galungan will be on April 23rd and November 19th. Besides Galungan, you can also experience Kuningan on May 3rd and November 29th.

Also read : Bali Sets New Rules For Foreign Tourists, Here's What You Need To Know

Although this is a Hindu religious celebration, Muslim travelers can also see the traditional ceremonies directly. Just remember to always be respectful and follow the rules so you don't interrupt the religious ceremonies. Here's what you can experience during Galungan Day in Bali.

Beautiful penjor decorations lining the streets all over Bali

Image credit : Mihtiander | Canva Pro

As Galungan Day gets closer, you'll see beautiful penjor decorations lining the streets all over Bali. For Hindus, these tall decorations represent victory, wealth, and thanks to their God. The penjor looks like a curved bamboo pole decorated with young coconut leaves (janur) and different kinds of food that grow on the land, like potatoes, fruits, and grains. Hindus also add offerings to the penjor. They usually put up the penjor on the day before Galungan, after noon.

You can watch the Barong walk through the village

Image credit : Dimaberkut | Canva Pro

Watching the Barong go around is a tradition called "ngelawang," which comes from the word for "door." This tradition involves taking a Barong bangkal (a kind of pig-like creature) from one house to another in the village, according to the Ministry of Education and Culture. As it walks around, the Barong bangkal is accompanied by gamelan music. Hindus use a Barong bangkal that looks like a big pig with a scary face because they believe it has magic powers. Usually, two people dance inside the Barong, one holding the head and the other the tail. The ngelawang Barong tradition is done to chase away bad spirits that might cause trouble in the village, so the community will be safe.

You can see Balinese women walking together, carrying bamboo baskets on their heads.

Image credit : Bicho_raro | Canva Pro

This tradition is done by Hindus as they walk together to pray during Galungan Day, carrying the "keben bambu" which holds offerings, according to Indonesia.go.id. Hindus walk in a procession ("mapeed") towards the temple in their village. Usually, the offerings they prepare include fruit, flowers, and decorations made from young coconut leaves. Besides the religious aspect, the line of Hindus walking to the temple to pray on Galungan Day is also a popular attraction for tourists in Bali.

You can watch the Mekotek tradition – where people put wooden sticks together and jump around to gamelan music.

Image credit : Pariwisata Indonesia | Official Website

You can witness the Mekotek tradition, which is kept alive by Hindus in Munggu Village, Badung Regency, Bali. This tradition involves different groups of villagers joining wooden sticks together to make a cone shape. After that, the people participating in Mekotek will spin around and jump up and down while gamelan music plays. The name "Mekotek" comes from the "tek tek" sound the wooden sticks make when they hit each other. Mekotek is a tradition passed down through generations and is still practiced today. The purpose of Mekotek is to ward off bad luck that happened to the village many years ago.

The best place to watch Balinese traditional ceremonies

Penglipuran Village

Image credit : tawatchaiprakobit | Canva Pro

During the Galungan holiday, visitors can see how busy the Hindu people are getting ready for this special day. You'll see rows of neatly arranged "penjor" decorations along the village streets, which creates a unique and festive feeling. The houses and buildings in Penglipuran Village have real Balinese traditional architecture. Penglipuran Village is located in Kubu Village, Bangli District, Bangli Regency, Bali.

Unlike other parts of Bali where the "penjor" decorations might look different, in Penglipuran, they all look the same. This shows the unity and harmony of the community. Visitors can watch the villagers making the "penjor" together in a cooperative way, with a special design that follows old traditions. The view of all the similar "penjor" lining the village streets is a very special sight.

Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

Image credit : Andrey X | Canva Pro

At Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, ceremonies happen regularly. So, even with lots of tourists around, you'll often see religious leaders and Hindu people coming in groups to pray at this temple. When these religious groups arrive, it catches the attention of tourists because they are accompanied by special Balinese music.

What makes this temple really interesting is that it's located right on the edge of a lake. The sight of many different kinds of offerings ("banten") arranged beautifully all around the temple is something special to see. Each offering has its own meaning and purpose, as a way of saying thank you and asking for blessings from the gods. The skill and care that Balinese people put into making these offerings is a beautiful art form.

Besakih Temple

Image credit : idmanjoe | Canva Pro

This holy place is located on the slopes of Mount Agung, the tallest and most sacred mountain in Bali. On Galungan Day, Hindu people gather at Besakih Temple to pray.

The most important part of the Galungan celebration at Besakih Temple is the big prayer ceremony where everyone prays together ("muspa"). Tourists can watch the Hindu people respectfully following the ceremony led by the priests ("pemangku"). The sound of prayers and holy songs echoing around the temple creates a deep spiritual feeling. The sight of people lined up neatly, carrying tall and colorful offerings ("banten"), is truly amazing to see.

Muslim Travel Tips: Recommended Mosques Near Tourist Attractions in Bali

Bali is famous as the "Island of a Thousand Temples," which makes sense since most people there are Hindu. But even so, there are also many mosques in Bali. These mosques are located all over the island, from Kuta and Denpasar to Nusa Dua, Badung, Tabanan, Klungkung, and other areas.

It's not surprising, because Bali is known as a beautiful tourist spot with a very high level of religious tolerance. Because of this, not only Hindus but also Muslims feel comfortable going on vacation or living in Bali.

For your information, here are some of the biggest mosques in Bali. They have a long history, beautiful designs, and great views that are worth visiting for tourists.

Palapa Grand Mosque

Image credit : Bali Travel Diary | Website

Palapa Grand Mosque is well-known by both local people and tourists. This mosque is quite popular because its design is special, mixing traditional Javanese and Balinese architecture.

Besides being beautiful, the location of Palapa Grand Mosque is also very convenient. Located in South Kuta, you can reach this mosque within 10 minutes from Dreamland Beach and 14 minutes from Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Bali.

Al-Hidayah Grand Mosque

Image credit : Singgah ke masjid | Blog

Decorated with many gold-colored ornaments, Al-Hidayah Grand Mosque is also known as the "Candi Kuning Bedugul Mosque."

This mosque is indeed located in Bedugul, and visitors can even enjoy the beautiful view of Ulun Danu Beratan Temple from its yard. Besides the lake, the pretty mountain scenery of Bedugul is also one of the tourist attractions of Al-Hidayah Grand Mosque. Its green and cool atmosphere makes praying feel more solemn and comfortable.

Ukhuwah Grand Mosque

Image credit : Ayla_jo5 | Flickr

Ukhuwah Grand Mosque is located at a spot where three main roads in Denpasar meet.

The mosque is right between Hasanuddin Street, Sulawesi Street, and Kalimantan Street.

It's even just a 6-minute walk from the Kumbasari Art Market!

Besides having a large prayer area, this mosque also has parking space for muslim who come by motorbike.

Also read : Muslim-Friendly Itinerary in Bali for Your Next Long Weekend

During the Galungan celebrations, tourists can see how Balinese people interact socially and culturally during the ceremonies. This will be an unforgettable experience when you visit the Island of the Gods (Bali). But it's important to always be polite and respect the flow of the ceremonies and the Hindu beliefs. For Muslim travelers, please don't forget your prayers, as there are many Muslim-friendly facilities available around the tourist spots in Bali. So, let's plan your vacation to Bali during the Galungan holiday!