The Bali Kite Festival is an annual international kite festival held in July in Padang Galak area, Sanur Beach, Bali. Traditional giant kites (4 meters in width and almost 10 meters in length) are made and flown competitively by teams from the villages (banjar) of Denpasar. The event is a seasonal religious festival intended to send a message to the Hindu Gods to create abundant crops and harvests.
Bebean (fish-shaped), Janggan (bird-shaped) and Pecukan (leaf-shaped) are three traditional kites flown during this kite festival. The kites are flown by teams of 10 or more adult kitefliers. The Bebean is the largest kite, and looks like a broad-mouthed, split-tailed fish. The Janggan form has a broad flowing cloth tail that can reach more than 100 meters in length. The Pecukan requires the most skill to fly, as its unstable form often tumbles towards the ground. Red, white and black are traditional colours used in the kite’s designs. Each type of traditional kite has its own competition, with heats of 10 teams vying for the best launch and longest flight. Sometimes the kites come down over the adjacent rice paddies, and the team members have to dash through the paddy to rescue the kite before it lands in the water.
A competition is also held for ‘New Creation’ kites which may include detailed three dimensional figures representing the Hindu Gods or sponsorship kites. Traditional and new creation kites are constructed from bamboo and cotton cloth.
Bali International Kite Committee (BIKC) has resolved the schedule of the International Bali Kite Festival 2007.
Based on the meeting of the committee, it was decided that from 9 till 12 August 2007 as the days to play kite in Bali. A number of preparations have been made to welcome this international event; amongst them is a road show to some hotels as well as introducing the committee to the circles of the tourism industry of Bali.
In the meanwhile, according to Susilapatra, Chairman of BIKC, the kites today in Bali have put forward its identity as a constituent of Balinese culture. Its community higly respects the kite as what they do for honoring the Gods and Goddessof the heaven. In fact, this activity can become an attraction of its own so many tourists will intentionally come to Bali just for seeing these kites. “Therefore, on the international kite festival of this year, we ensure that it would be participated by at least 25 countries” he announced.
Said, the process of making kites in Bali is commenced by a sacred process by engaging temple and high priest. Even, during the competition, the kites are graced with Balinese gamelan ensemble accompaniment like the dynamic belegenjur and other gamelan compositions.
Source: Wikipedia, Bali Travel News Vol. IX No.4, Jan 26 – Feb 8 2007
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