Bali - the Dulang

The tight schedule of ceremonies for Hindu families in Bali has increased demand for ritual paraphernalia, turning its making into a lucrative business opportunity.

One of the items that is used in ceremonies is the Dulang, a carved pedestal bowl.
People used to make dulang out of wood, but now this has become increasingly rare. Since the fiberglass bowls were introduced to the market, they soon gained a positive response because they were lighter and more practical and the price is also 10 times cheaper and it takes some 30 minutes to make a fiberglass dulang.

First, all the materials, including resin, fiber, talc and catalyst, are mixed for two minutes to make the putty. The putty is then carefully placed around a mold made of rubber. After this process of around 15 minutes, the next step is sanding the polished bowl with sandpaper. For the finishing touches, the bowl is painted with base colors before being refined with colorful patterns. The products are distributed throughout Bali, including to Gianyar, Singaraja, Jembrana, Denpasar, Badung, Karangasem and Bangli.
A bowl is sold for between Rp 250,000 to Rp 400,000, depending on the size and crafting.

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