The Pawukon calendar from Bali is a rare example of multiple and competing cycles calendar.

The calendar repeats itself every 210 days, it counts 10 cycles of 1, 2, 3 up to 10 days running simultaneously. Each cycle has a name : 1 day cycle = ekawara, 2 days cycle = dwiwara, then triwara, caturwara, pancawara, sadwara, saptawara, asatawara, sangawara, dasawara. The principal cycles are those of 5, 6 and 7 days.

There is strictly speaking no month but a sub-count of 35 days called 'bulan'. The 30 annual cycles of 7 days (week style) have a name.

Each day has for name the sum of the names of the day in each 10 cycles, what could give a name of day a bit ... complicated.

At last, the years are not numbered.


©Alain Opériol - 1991-2010 (www.encinaal.fr)