On Friday 10^th July 2015, all of the hotels in the South Kuta Beach area will be participating in a Penjor and Gebogan Competition, organised by the South Kuta Beach Business Association (SKBBA) and Kuta Village, to prepare for Galungan. Galungan is a Balinese holiday that signifies the victory of Virtue (Dharma) over Evil (Adharma). This important festival occurs every 210 days. It will begin this year on Wednesday 15^th July and will last for 10 days. During this time, the Balinese gods and ancestral spirits descend to Earth to be honoured. They will leave on Kuningan, which is the final day of the holiday. The Penjor is a slender, eight-metre high, gracefully arching bamboo pole, festooned with colourful flowers, fruit, unhusked rice and palm frond ornamentation, with an offering at the base. This is used by the Hindus in Bali as part of almost every important ceremony, especially for the anniversary temple celebrations. The Sri Jaya Kasunu manuscript states that the penjor symbolises the mountain, and the mountain itself is the symbol of the universe. Therefore, for the Balinese, the penjor is synonymous with Mount Agung, the highest and holiest mountain in Bali. The aim of placing penjors at Galungan is to show devotion to God in his manifestation as the god of the mountain (Hyang Giri Pati). Mountains with deep forests hold a lot of water, which flows into rivers. This then fulfils water needs for irrigation and drinking water. During the Galungan celebrations, each family places a penjor outside their gate, which makes the whole neighbourhood look splendid. Gebogan, on the other hand, is a Balinese offering with the reflection of a mountain shape or triangle. In Balinese language, Gebogan means ‘amount’. This offering consists of many kinds of fruits, flowers and other ornaments that is arranged in a triangle shape. When gebogan is presented as an offering to God, it is ‘delivered’ to the temple by carrying it on top of the head. If it is used as a decoration in a traditional ceremony, gebogan is usually set on the floor or on top of table. All the SKBBA hotels, together with other businesses in the area, will place their penjor in front of theentrance to their premises. Visitors to the South Kuta Beach area will be amazed by the beautiful, Balinese atmosphere within the South Kuta Beach streets during this 10-day celebration. Everyone is welcome to watch the Penjor & Gebogan Competition, which will take place in the parking area of Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel located on Jalan Kartika on Friday 10^th July 2015. The Penjor Competition will be from 8am to 2pm and the Gebogan Competition will be from 10am to 1pm. All of the bamboos for the competition have been supplied by the SKBBA with the objective to encourage other businesses and the local community to take part in the competition, which in turn will pull the community together, create an attraction, and educate visitors about the Balinese Hindu culture and traditions. There will be at least 40 Penjors and Gebogans, and a jury will be selecting the winner at around noon prior to placing all the Penjors on the streets on Friday afternoon. This is the Association’s third penjor and first gebogan competition, now collaborating with Kuta Village, with the aim that it will become an attraction that will grow year after year, showcasing the culture and keeping the traditional skills alive. The South Kuta Beach Business Association is a group of hotels, restaurants and attractions that specifically market the South Kuta Beach strip and ensure the safety and enjoyment of tourists visiting the area through various environmental and security initiatives. For more information visit www.southkutabali.com -End-   For more information please contact: South Kuta Beach Business Association’s Secretary c/o Bali Dynasty Resort e-mail: gmsec@balidynasty.com