In the district of Karangasem, Bali, Ketut Alit Widiantari participated in the sacred Rejang dance during the Kuningan holiday. This event marks the conclusion of the 10-day Galungan festival, a celebration of the victory of good over evil. Dressed in traditional attire adorned with colorful leaves and flowers, Ketut and more than 30 women walked to the temple courtyard for the ceremony.

The Rejang dance, performed by young women, serves as an offering to the spiritual realm. It is a crucial part of the Kuningan holiday at the Puseh temple, a significant spiritual center for Balinese Hindus. Kuningan signifies the return of deities and ancestral spirits to the heavens after blessing their families and communities.

The 14-year-old Ketut and her peers, residents of Tista village, exemplify this traditional dance form, which varies across Bali based on occasion, ritual, and community. Before the dance, a priest blesses the dancers. Religious volunteers, known locally as “ngayah,” also offer blessings. The dancers’ costumes, headdress, and formations reflect the village’s identity and traditions.

In Karangasem, where distinct traditions are preserved, the Rejang Kuningan dance holds significance beyond its role as a sacred offering. This dance, along with traditional music played by Balinese men, symbolizes community identity. Widiantari and her fellow dancers contribute to preserving cultural heritage as they perform this sacred ritual to close the year’s Galungan and Kuningan festivities.