One of the unique traditions that you can find in Bali iskite. This tradition is somewhat rarely being talked too. Balinese people lovekites so much, they hold special festivals to celebrate their love to it.
Kites tradition in Bali is thought to be started by children in an agricultural society. They play kites to spend their time in rice fields. The kite tradition in Bali is also called rare angon, the name of a character in Balinese epic story. Here are some traditional kites you can find in Bali.
Pecukan kite
Pecuk kite, sometimes called Pecukan, is a typical Balinesekites that have a fairly simple form. This kite is shaped like a leaf, and whenit flies in the air, it looks like a leaf falling from the tree. This kite isvery difficult to control and requires special skills to fly it.
Another interesting tidbit is that this kite is usually haveGuwangan installed at its upper and lower ends. Guwangan is a kind of bow thatcan produce sound when the kite is flying. The size of Pecukan kite can reachup to 8 meters. The body of the kite requires a perfect balance so that it can flystably.
Bebean kites
This kite is shaped like a fish. ‘Be’ in Balinese meansfish. Bebean kites usually use three colors; black, white, and red. They arethe tridatu color that represents three main Gods in Hinduism; Brahma, Shiva,Wisnu.
When flying in the air, bebean kites look like fish swimmingin water. Bebean kites are also equipped with guwangan, so that it will producesound when flying. Kites that are made for exhibitions can be up to 15 metersin length. However, kites that are manufactured for children are made in‘normal’ size so that it can be controlled easily by children.
Janggan Kites
This janggan kite is the most unique of all traditionalBalinese kites. From its shape, you will immediately be able to judge that thiskite is the result of Balinese culture. The shape of a kite resembles adragon’s head with wood-based material that is carved and painted in lebih jelasnya.
What makes it unique is of course the tail of this kite. Thejanggan kite can have a fabric tail up to 100 meters long. The bigger the kite,the longer the tail. Just like bebean kites, Janggan kites are also dominatedby white, red, and black.
Creative Kites
This kite is made based on the creativity of the artists.There are no special rules like traditional kites have. Therefore, creativekites comes with much more colors and shapes. Under this classification,You cansee kites in the form of underwear,horse-drawn carriages, Garuda Indonesia symbols, ships, and many others.
Bali kite festival
The best time for you to enjoy the beauty of this traditionis when the Kite Festival is held. Usually such festivals are held on the beacharea, especially Padang Galak Beach in the north of Sanur Beach. Apart from havingopen air space, the wind here is also strong enough to lift the kites that somecan reach hundreds of meters in length.
This festival is usually held in July, when Bali is in thedry season. This is a place of creativity for Balinese people who want to showoff their skills in designing, making, and flying kites. The sight of hundredsof kites flying in the air is indeed very spectacular.
If you are a kite lover, visiting Bali can be a good choice.You can just enjoy or participate in a kite festival on this magical island.