Ogoh-Ogoh

Ogoh-ogoh is a delightful Balinese tradition, the building of temporary sculptures that are paraded during Pangrupukan, a holiday welcoming the new year. Although not very old in its current form – wikipedia says the 1980s – it draws on ancient traditions of appeasing underworld beings and a sort of scapegoating, loading the ills of the past year onto these demonic creatures, which are then burned.

Most of these are still burned at the end of the festival, but now there are museums that preserve some of the best specimens, I suppose for tourists who visit at other times of the year.

And who cares if this is not that old and perhaps now mainly functions as a prop for Bali's sole industry, tourism? It does have roots in Balinese tradition, and it's just cool.

I can't resist adding in Balinese ogoh-ogoh is written like this: ᬑᬕᭀᬄ​ᬳᭀᬕᭀᬄ