Bali Kite Festival: celebrating the true colors of Indonesia

How often do you see a sky full of flying kites in the shape of birds, fish, leaves, soccer balls, dolphins, mermaids, gods, lions, and even unicorns? Bali has a kite festival every year, and similar figures float gently in the sky. It is one of the most famous festivals in Indonesia.

It begins in July, when the winds begin to blow around the island. People from all over Bali gather for the celebration. Over time, the seasonal celebration has turned into a grand sporting event. Many tourists come to the island at this time to watch this fascinating spectacle for themselves.

Time of the event

The opening ceremony is held in July and the closing ceremony in October. Other smaller competitions and side events also take place during the festive period. But it is in the first and last months that the most important events of the festival take place.

A special atmosphere of the holiday is created by the Gamelan, the national Indonesian orchestra, which plays the traditional music of the island. During these few months, a strong wind blows from the ocean, which provides ideal weather conditions for kite launching.

Visitors are advised to carefully check the dates of events, because they are highly dependent on the weather. Information about the exact location and times can be found on the official website of the local government.

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Location

In fact, the festival does not take place in one place, but on several popular beaches. The opening and closing takes place at Padanggalak Beach in northern Sanur. Other locations include Masceti Beach in Ginyar City; Ungasan; Mertasari Beach, Sanur; Abiansemal, Badung District; Pelangi, Klunkung District; Bukit Peninsula; Peliatan, Ubud; Marga, Tabanan District; Denpasar and Kuta cities.

The purpose of the festival

The Bali Kite Festival is an international festival that promotes the preservation and promotion of Balinese traditions and culture. Initially, the festival had a purely religious significance.

The Balinese have been united in banjars, special communities similar to village communities, since ancient times. At the celebration, each banjar flew its own kite. In this way the people expressed their gratitude and respect to the Hindu gods for the rich harvest and hoped to receive their further blessing.

Now the festival has become a large-scale sporting event with monetary rewards. Each team strives to take first place and get the grand prize.

Key Events

Currently, the festival attracts teams from all over the world. Each team consists of about 70-80 people. The lineup usually includes flag bearers and an orchestra, which inspires the pilot group.

The primary objective of the competition is to collect and successfully fly a kite with its colorful tail at the final competition. The first place team receives an impressive monetary reward. In addition to the main competition, there are several others, but on a smaller scale.

The most famous such competition is the "New Creation" (Kreasi Baru), where the most creative and unusual kite is awarded. All kinds of shapes, colors and sizes are submitted for the judges' consideration. Teams also compete for the best design, the longest flight, and the best launch. 

The Art of Kite Making

The key attributes at the festival are the kites. The locals view the very process of their creation as an extremely important and special event.

Preparations for the festival begin long before it begins. Each community carefully considers and agrees on all the details of the future kite, including the creative color scheme and appropriate lightweight materials.

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Most often bamboo is used to build the frames, and lightweight cotton is considered the most preferred and common fabric. The entire process is done under the supervision of the elders and more experienced members of the community. The local elders get together and determine the most auspicious days and times to make the kite.

Talented and hardworking young people do all the hard work. There are also musical kites equipped with special instruments. They emit a quiet humming sound, capable of covering considerable distances.

Traditional kites

At the festival you can see kites of many different types and designs. But the most significant ones are made in the traditional style. There are three main models of traditional kites. Their sizes range from 10 meters long and 4 meters wide.

Janggan is considered the longest, and its tail can even reach more than 100 meters. It resembles a bird with short, rounded wings. The Pecukan looks more like a leaf. It requires a great deal of skill and experience to launch and fly it, since it is very unstable and falls over frequently. It takes more than ten experts to work with this model.

The Bebean resembles a fish in shape and stands out for its largest size. There are competitions for these three types of traditional kites. Ten teams in each individual category are allowed to participate. The main criteria for winning are the skill to fly the kite into the sky and the length of its flight.

Color symbolism

The traditional color combination consists of red, white and black. They symbolize the Hindu trinity of gods - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Red represents Brahma (creator of the universe); white represents Vishnu (protector), and black represents Shiva (destroyer). Yellow is also often present in the coloring, which expresses respect for the eight gods who represent the eight directions.

Tips for visitors

July and August are the peak months of the season. Consequently, there is a large influx of tourists on the island at this time. Here are a few tips and suggestions to make the most of your visit to the festival.

Find the right vehicle. During the peak season, traffic is heavy and local transportation prices often go up. Tourists can rent a car with or without a driver, a motorcycle or a bicycle.

Take care of your accommodation in advance. The hotel may not always have rooms available, so it is better to book a room well in advance.

Carry your ID with you everywhere. Care and caution will not be superfluous in a foreign country. Always carry the identification and contact information of the hotel where you are staying. In the event of any trouble, hotel staff will help resolve any issues that may arise.

Learn basic words and phrases in Balinese. A huge bonus would be knowing at least the greeting phrases. It will help a lot in interacting with the locals. Also, tourists who know the language can get information about the hidden places of the island, which only the natives know about.

Take light clothing with you. Bali is a tropical island and therefore has a very high level of humidity. It is advisable to bring light cotton clothing. Or you can buy them at the local market.

If you like to fly kites, you should definitely come to the festival, watch and participate in the competition. The island has an amazing atmosphere of hospitality and cordiality. Tourists can also take part in the process of creating a kite. Unforgettable emotions and thrills are guaranteed.