Nowadays, the enticing sounds of gamelan can be found in many settings from ceremonies and traditional dance or theater performances to the background music during spa treatments. But originally, Balinese gamelan was developed as solemn religious purposes, like warding off evil spirits or preparing worshippers to enter a state of trance. In fact, the beats in Balinese gamelan can be used as cues to inhalation and exhalation to induce a meditative state.
Javanese gamelan does have its religious purposes as well, as an accompaniment during religious ceremonies. It has also been used as a form of entertainment performed for the amusement of the royal family, as well as accompanying the wayang puppet shows.
Nowadays gamelan is often loosely used as a means to induce an atmosphere of calm and tranquility. The ancient musical principles and customs are still used to compose and improvise new pieces that continue the mystical and spiritual traditions. The huge gong is still used to mark the officiation of formal events, such as an opening of a festival, inauguration of establishments, or similar.
