Cultural News - Pagerwesi
Pagerwesi is a Balinese ceremony celebrated every 210 days according to the traditional Balinese calendar.
Pagerwesi is a Balinese ceremony celebrated every 210 days according to the traditional Balinese calendar.
The name of this ceremony is obtained from two local words: pager and wesi. Pager is a local word that translates to ‘fence’, while wesi means ‘iron’. The full word’s literal meaning is iron fence and is when the Balinese people strengthen their minds and souls against evil forces.
The festivities are held in honour of Siva, the third deity in Hindu religion. Siva is honoured as the god who protects the universe, and locals will pay their respects in order to invoke prosperity as well as pray for protection.
The date of the festival coincides with the celebration of Saraswati and the reason for this is that after the celebration of knowledge and divine inspiration during Saraswati, Pagerwasi is held to protect and shield this knowledge and inspiration from evil forces.
This year, Pagerwesi will be celebrated on the 30th of March 2022. Ceremonies will be conducted at temples all over the island.
