Standing on Ceremony - Balinese Style

(6 ceremonies with pictures)

Bali is filled with ceremonies. Many locals report that ceremonies easily take up half their waking hours and a large portion of their income. Participation is usually mandatory, and it's not uncommon for businesses to close, and employees to ditch their duties, during these events. In the end, special ceremonial food is distributed amongst the participants. Most Balinese are Hindu, though there are a significant minority of Muslims. Some Buddhists exist, and Hindu Balinese will often remark about the affinity between Hinduism and Buddhism.

The ceremonies are imbued with spirituality, and resonate as only long standing community rituals can. It's my sense that they have a centering effect on most of the participants. Everyone knows what to expect and everyone somehow participates and supports the event and, if applicable, the primary family involved. It's not uncommon for the local Banjar (a community organization of married men who own property) to elicit help as needed from Gamelon musicians and other skillful types. Gender defines how one helps... this certainly simplifies an already intricate and complicated social activity!

If I understand correctly, ceremonies are usually in 3 parts. The first phase is directed toward the spirit world and usually involves a lot of prayer and sprinkling of holy water in the family, or public, temple. The second phase involves the community at large and varies greatly. The third phase is usually much more casual and festive, and this is when special food, shadow puppet shows, gambling, and palm wine or arak (the local moonshine) might appear. This latter drinking habit is embraced by people in the NE corner of Bali. One glass is passed around a circle while everyone chats in an increasingly animated manner... it's not uncommon for the group to breakout in song. Sometime early on, a chicken is usually sacrificed (sometimes via cock fights).

Also significant and time consuming, are the preparations for ceremonies. in my view, these preparations are elaborate. The extra important ceremonies, such as the teeth filing ceremony, require a stunning community effort. Hand woven palm leaf decorations and prayer offerings alone can line streets and entryways and temple areas. Music, allegorical dances, temporary structures, and processions, are often involved. All of this takes place within infamously elastic "Bali Time".

Let me know if you'd like to hear more details about any of these ceremonies. For now, here's some images that hint at the experience.

CREMATION CEREMONY
UBUD, BALI
Bodies often are stored for a long time until the family can afford to throw a proper cremation ceremony. If a family is poor, then they must wait until enough people have passed in the community so that families can share expenses of a group funeral. The time consuming preparations are particularly elaborate depending on the caste and social standing of the person who has passed. The body is placed in an enclosed box decorated with a tall statue in this case a bull... I get the sense that this is the common motif). This funeral pyre is carried by several people, and they occasionally spin and shout, and surounding people will do their best to make a loud commotion with loud drumming and clanging. This is meant to confuse the deceased as to the way home so that they won't be tempted to stay, rather than move onto the next phase of their existence. The fire department gets into the act by spraying the deceased, as well as the grateful crowd. Also in this procession is another carried structure containing a holy man, and a picture of the deceased. This was quite elaboratedly decorated.

The procession is a rather long affair, and eventually ends up on a designated beach for the cremation. It did not seem to me to be a very somber affair.

This cremation was a for a person of very high caste.

VILLAGE TEMPLE CEREMONY
Tengkulak Kelod, Bali

Every Balinese village has an official village temple, in addition to many others including the family temple. This particular village temple ceremony had not taken place for years, so it was a big to-do. Children and adults were enthralled for hours by 2 different gamelon orchestras (one part of the new wave of female orchestras), and traditional dance retelling age old stories or valor and deceipt. The musicians and dancers donated their time as part of their Balinese karmic debt to society. I had to leave before the ending village prayers, but enjoyed the festivities before hand.

BEACH CEREMONY (HOLY WATER)
A BEACH ABOUT 40 MINUTES FROM UBUD, BALI




Movie (1.4MB):
Traffic jam Balinese style (people playing music by the truckloads) (746kb):
040412a_ubud_oceancere.mov

Short version (holy man ringing bell) (1.4MB):
158_5876_ubud_oceanbell.mov

Long version (the whole beach procession/ceremony) (3.1MB):

(TO BE UPLOADED AT A LATER DATE)

More photos:...copy and paste the following URL directly into your browser: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=jdehulj.9ou6nkx3&x=0&y=j9b2ru

3 - 6 MONTH BABY CEREMONY (MUSLIM)
THE FIRST HAIRCUT
CHANDIKUNING (CENTRAL MOUNTAINS), BALI

This is very similar in concept to the Hindu rituals in that it involves the child's first haircut. However, this as often a biannual group event when children ranging in age of 3 to 6 months participate. There's a lively street procession of lit floats, street song and dance, which eventually culminates at the Mosque where men pray and sing fervently till dawn. Children get their haircut the next morning and at the end coins, fragrant and colorful flower petals, and candies, are tossed into the eagerly diving crowd. Mostly it's for the children, but a few adults get into the act!

3 MONTH BABY CEREMONY (KAMPUNG)
AMED MOUNTAINS, BALI
This was a very sweet and intimate affair way up in the mountains above east coast Amed. It was a 45 minute arduous motorbike ride up muddy rough roads. At times, I had to get off and trudge on foot while the driver practically pushed the motorbike through the steepest and most troublesome parts. It was worth it, and the family was incredibly warm and welcoming. One part of the ceremony took place in the family temple buried in the woods above the house. As usual, food and flower offerings and incense were presented, and the holy man chanted and prayed and sprinkled holy water on the baby and everyone around. It became dark, so a lantern was employed while the hair was clipped and placed into a pan of holy water. Fortunately, we finished just in time to head down the precarious path before the sprinkles became bonafide rain. The ceremony continued down in the family compound in a tiny wooden room that looked to me like a little storage shed. The holy man, immediate family of about 7 people of 4 generations, and I (what an honor!) bore witness the the remaining ritual. The baby was blessed, and smiles bloomed all around. Afterwards, there was the feast! Everyone made sure I received some ot the ritual babe guling (roasted whole pig). At the end, like in most of this region of Bali (Kangarasam) it was time for palm wine! A single glass of wine is passed around the circle, and it's a jubulent occasion. These village people were sincerely kind, and it was one of the few times in Bali that I didn't feel like I was being viewed as a walking wallet.




NOTE: Unfortunately, the movie of the intimate ceremony blessing the babie, is too large to uplaoad so I'll have to show you when I get back! The following movie is a charming view of everyday village life however...

movie (1.2MB)perturbed parrot:


184_8417_parrot_e.mov

3 MONTH BABY CEREMONY (KANGARASAM, EAST BALI)This ceremony involves blessing the child, and cutting a lock of their hair for the first time. This family was in a coastal town, and had a huge turn out. I missed the religious ceremony, but went for the more public celebration. They parents sprung for a shadow puppet show and there were games and refreshments.

TEETH FILING CEREMONY
UBUD, BALI

(PHOTOS UPLOADED LATER)