From June to August is the windy season in Bali. You know what it means? It’s KITE season!
Traditional giant kites (4 metres in width and almost 10 metres in length) are made by men in one village (Banjar). Bebean (fish-shaped), Janggan (bird-shaped) and Pecukan (leaf-shaped) are three traditional kites. Red, white and black aretraditional colours used in the kite’s designs. 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 metres in length. The Pecukan requires the most skill to fly, as its unstable form often tumbles towards the ground.
The Bali Kite Festival is an annual international kite festival held in July in Padang Galak area, Sanur Beach, Bali. The event is a seasonal religious festival intended to send a message to the Hindu Gods to create abundant crops and harvests. In the dry season of June through August, the winds blow continually from east to west in most of Indonesia. Balinese children and adults fly kites in the vacant rice paddies during this period. A gamelan orchestra plays music throughout the festival. The festival attracts many tourists and international kite fliers, along with many local spectators.
