5 Balinese Ceremonies You Must Attend

Administrator · Wednesday, 22 March 2017 · 1981 Views

As one of the most favorite tourist destination in the world, there is no surprise if visitors are familiar with the modern facility for having fun available in Bali. Shopping center, modern restaurant and night club come along with the beauty of natural landscape which made Bali called as the paradise island. However, if you are tired of those modern entertainments, you must not forget that there is a crucial point of Bali which made it so popular across the world. Bali is about tradition and culture. That is why you must not miss the opportunity to attend the cultural event in Bali. These Balinese ceremonies will bring you to the magnificent feel of Balinese traditional culture.

Ngaben

Hindu rites could not be separated from this island since it is the major religion of Balinese. Balinese will burn the dead body as part of their religious tradition. This procession is called Ngaben. It could be held right after the death event or not. Wealthy family will process Ngaben ceremony pretty quickly in 3-7 days only and it is called Ngane Sawa Wedana. There is also Ngaben Asti Wedana that is performed after the dead body is buried. The second type of Ngaben is chosen due to strict village rule or financial circumstance. Unfortunately, this ceremony could not be predicted.

Melasti

If you are looking for Balinese ceremonies which are performed in a regular manner, Melasti must be a great idea since this event is held annually, three days before Nyepi ceremony. During Melasti ceremony, Balinese will purify their selves by visiting the sacred spring, lake, or even sea. To witness this amazing event, you should stay in the hotels near major Hindu temple such as in Kuta or Uluwatu 3-4 days before Nyepi day.

Saraswati

Ngaben is identical to death but Saraswati is the traditional ceremony for celebrating the knowledge for Balinese. This is the moment they worship goddess Saraswati who brought the knowledge for education people on earth. During this ceremony, anything related to knowledge including the books will be the crucial part of the event. It is all about celebration since there will be art performance from dance to literature night for all night long. You can mark your calendar too attend the festive celebration of knowledge during Saraswati.

Omed-omedan

After Nyepi, you could watch super unique Balinese ceremony named Omed-omedan located in Banjar Kaja, Sesetan, Denpasar. This is the event for the bachelor and bachelorette for having fun and even finding their soul mate. The ceremony starts in the temple and next, the bachelor and the bachelorette between 18 and 30 years old will stand face to face. The water war will get started soon and the war will be ended sweetly by kissing one another sometimes.

Mekare-kare

Mekare-kare is the ceremony to show off the power in Tenganan, Karangasem. Instead of using the real sword, pandanus leaf and armor are provided to protect the body. This is the ceremony of power and bravery for worshiping Indra, god of war held annually in early June.

Festival goers, these Balinese ceremonies sound like an opportunity for experiencing more cultural festival. Do not miss it.