Bali Information

Omed-omedan (Kissing ceremony)

So many people, young and old, men and women, natives and foreigners came in flocks to see a unique ritual in Banjar Kaja, Sesetan village, South Denpasar, a day after Nyepi. The old men from Banjar Kaja sprinkle the road. A moment later, while the members of sekaa teruna teruni Satya Dharma Kerti (youth organization; in Banjar Kaja, its youth organization is named Satya Dharma Kerti) was praying, a Barong dance was held. After the praying and dancing session was over, the core of this ritual came.

The teenagers came out to the road. The boys were in left and the girls were in right. They were wetted by the adult ones. Balinese gambelan (traditional instrument) were played. The boys chose one of their members, so did the girls. Those chosen people were pushed by the others. “Omed-omedan” was started,

They pushed his and her waist. Gambelan player played another tune, more and more beat. They pushed their own member until the chosen ones met in the middle of the road, and both of the chosen embraced and kissed each other. However, the girls were so shy to do this ritual in public that the girls sometimes avoid the embraces and kisses. It was a totally different story for the boys. They were always excited to embrace and kiss the girls. Moreover, there was a boy took a minute longer to do that. For that reason the old men sprinkled them with so much water. Then the chosen were pulled back to their position by the others. Those push and pull were done for several times with different chosen people.

Attractive chosen people attracted more audiences to scream and push the others audiences because they want to see from closer distance The audiences which passed the border were also sprinkled. Whoop….so wet!

Another information if you want to come to see this tradition is do not forget to protect your camera and others electronic things. Who knows yours will be sprinkled too.

Omed-omedan is held in a day after Nyepi (silence day) by people of Banjar Kaja, Sesetan village, South Denpasar. The teenagers who belong to this Banjar play the main role on this tradition. They -the boys and the girls- embrace each other by turns with wet body. They push a chosen boy and a chosen girl’s waist until they embrace and kiss ech other then he and she are pulled back to their initial position (see the complete information of omed-omedan on the previous posting).

Omed-omedan come from ‘omed’ meant pull. Many people outside Banjar Kaja often call omed-omedan with med-medan. “Actually, this tradition was held on Nyepi day,” said I Wayan Sunarya, Kelian Adat (Head of Banjar) Banjar Kaja. In the bygone days, Raja Puri Oka, authority of Sesetan village, was sick. He was still sick until Nyepi but the teenagers of Banjar Kaja were bored staying in home during the silence day. So, they went out gathered together. They played and chatted noisily that Raja Puri Oka was disturbed. Raja Puri Oka felt angry and commanded them to get in their house. But a miracle happened. Raja Puri Oka got well and became really healthy. Since that day, Raja Puri Oka told Banjar Kaja’s teenagers to do ‘omed-omedan’ in Nyepi Day.

“In colonial period, we were asked not to do omed-omedan on Nyepi day,” added Sunarya. Without any wonder, Nyepi is not proper time to make noise. Then Omed-omedan is held on a day after Nyepi. There was an occasion in colonial time, the people of Banjar Kaja-ever did not hold this tradition. “Then two pigs came and fight in front of Banjar Kaja. It turns out, it was a sign from god that omed-omedan had to hold every year,” explained Sunarya. Until this time omed-omedan is still held annually.

On that day, many parents hope their teenagers will get a mate trough this omed-omedan. Suprisingly, in this Banjar, there are some couples which started their relationships from omed-omedan. “So I prove it,” said Sunarya. He did not feel anything to Ni Putu Yarniathi before omed-omedan. They were a friend. “But I don’t know after omed-omedan ‘that’ feeling came,” he recalled. They got marriage and this year their marriage reach 30 years. “I am very happy, now I have three children and many grandsons,” he said. Whoo… so romantic isn’t it?. Unfortunately, for those who are not the member of Banjar Kaja are not allowed joining this tradition, except as audiences.

his tradition is not a sacred tradition like Pangrebongan in Kesiman village. However this tradition is so entertaining. Wanna see? Get ready on next year.

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Perang pandan (pandanus war)

The humanity of a society is not just measured by how people treat their friends but how they care for their enemies. But what happens when the lines distinguishing friends from enemies are blurred by cultural dictates? Are bonds of kinship strong enough when tested? These questions are posited in a ritual called perang pandan of the Bali Aga people in Tenganan where males of age of reason, from children as young as seven to men as old as seventy, engage in a bloody duel, every year.

Literally meaning “pandan war”, perang pandan is a man-to-man, or child-to-child battle using a thorny pandan (wild screwpine) leaves bunched into a club, with only a peresai or woven bamboo (?) shield as protection. There are no declaration of winners or losers and one can participate in as many duels as permitted by a council of adults who themselves participate in the rites.

Human as men are, the fights can get heated, resulting to lots of blood and bad temper but somehow after all the lashing and whipping, participants are put into place and acrimony is left on stage. Smiles and embraces are exchanged. Manhood is tested. Civilization survives.

More notes and photographs in the following days.

Be early, especially on the 3rd and last day of the perang pandan. The fight started before 2PM, so by 1PM, I already claimed a stake in front of the the stage and soon enough all places would be taken. This, under the heat of noon sun. It would be worth the aggravation as even the sidelights leading to the battle ceremony are worth documenting.
a nervous young boy, psyching himself up for the perang pandan duel in Tengenan, Manggis, Karengasem, Bali, Indonesia (uncropped)

perang pandan
Gradually, as the more than one-hour ritual progressed, the participants would sit around the arena and would block your view. Move backwards and seek higher ground and use a telephoto lens. Otherwise, bring a stool with you, or as other male photographers would do, wear traditional clothes and go bare-chested like the participants so as to gain access to the sacred pavilion overlooking the makeshift stage.
a seriously touch and bloody battle at the perang pandan in Tengenan, Manggis, Karengasem, Bali, Indonesia (uncropped)

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Barong bangkung (Pig barong)

Barong Bangkung is performed peripatetically throughout the village namely from one house to another that is called ngelawang. They perform this ngelawang from Galungan day to Umanis Kuningan, for 12 days. Barong Bangkung (sow) is also called Barong Bangkal (wild boar) or Barong Celeng (pig) since it has the form of a huge black pig. It is performed by two male dancers and accompanied by batel or tetamburan gamelan orchestra.

This dance usually performed by children which consist of group. Barong bangkung always visit people’s houses and will dance lively in front of each house gate. The dweller will never feel disturbed by the Barong. In fact, they are happy for this fresh and inexpensive entertainment. With the money amount of Rp.1.000, Rp.2000 or Rp.3000, people will dissolve in laughter for few hilarious scenes that is offered by the barong’s dancer.

in usual, Barong bangkung usually starts Ngelawang on Galungan until Kuningan, three days after Galungan and three days after Kuningan. During the staging, Barong Bangkung group will be accompanied by few telek mask dancers (mostly children accompanied by batel musical instruments) with their funny faces. Sekaa (group) Barong Bangkung always walks randomly from one village to another. They dance based on the money; the more they get paid, the longer they will dance.

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Mekepung (Balinese bull cart racing)

Bull race in bali we call Mekepung. Makepung is a product of agrarian culture in Jembrana (Delod berawah area). The word itself means runing romp. Makepung Attraction is compete scoot a pair of buffalo train / car that is called by the peoples cikar Jembrana.

Each race compete in a buffalo through 2 km distance crossing back and forth so that the total distance up to 4 km. When race and buffalo train ornament decorated with Balinese and Ornament including the jockey / the sais soldiers make up the style of traditional Bali.

Makepung developed since 1930-an, which inspired the activities of the farmers carry harvest of the rice paddy. Because the number of car / train porter and excitement as they often flood the race to the destination. And now this attraction attraction developed into a culture that regularly held every year. Attraction can be witnessed makepung start in June until November each year. Great event that always siphon attention tourists are struggling Regent Cup (August), and Bali Governor Cup (October / November).

A s one of the provinces of Indonesia Bali is an agrarian island which has a unique organization called Subak that regulates water for the rice fields. The farmers use ploughs and the soil management is divided into several stages. To make the soil soft they use the tenggala plough, to pull weeds out from the soil they use the anchor plough, to turn to soil into mud they use lampit slau plough, and finally, to soften the soil, they use plasah plough. They start planting rice when the surface of the soil is really soft. They practice a work system called ngajakan ("ngajakan" is a Balinese word meaning a mutual help without payment).

The Mekepung attraction is held only in the Jembrana district, located in the south-west area of Bali. From Denpasar (the capital city of Bali island), it only takes one hour by car to the west. "Mekepung" is a Balinese word (the only Balinese terminology) that designates buffalo racing. People inspired by the stage of soil management, that is, to soften the soil by using a lampit slau plough. In the process of softening the soil, farmers work together with other farmers and their wives to prepare food for them. Lampit slau plough is carried by two water buffalos and they are decorated with a large gerondongan bell which rings in producing a rock music when they move. It sounds grenjeng-grenjeng. Each of these ploughs is ridden by a jockey. The jockey sits on the plough.

During the activity, one feels inspired to have a race. This is the beginning of buffalo race or mekepung, i.e., a race in power to carry the ploughs.

Buffalo race, Buffalo Racing or Mekepung in the Jembrana district of Bali, Indonesia Buffalo race, Buffalo Racing or Mekepung in the Jembrana district of Bali, Indonesia

The first Buffalo Race or Mekepung is said to be held in the muddy rice field of Subak Pecelengan, the village of Mendoyo Dangin Tukad the subdistrict of Mendoyo, the Dictrict of Jembrana.

On the run, the attraction is also done by farmers from other areas such as those who live in Subak Temuku Aya, Subak Tegak Gede, and Subak Mertasari, and then develops into a Mekepung in the muddy rice field, held in turns when they start watering the rice field.

The Buffalo Race or Mekepung Attraction developed around the year of 1930, then the jockey dressed like palace soldiers. They were barefoot, wore head dress, a scarf, a vest, and trousers with a sword wrapped in checkered patterned cloth in the waist. Because the jockey got dirty after the mekepung in the muddy rice field, then they moved the attraction to the soil road near the rice field. This developed in the year around 1960, and they formed two adverse mekepung groups. The one is called group "Ijo Gading Timur" with a red flag and the other group is named "Ijo Gading Barat" which chose green flag. Ijo Gading is the name of the river dividing the town of Negara, the capital of the Jembrana district. "Timur" means east and "Barat" means west. So the group "Ijo Gading Timur" means the group located in the east side of the Ijo Gading river, whereas the group "Ijo Gading Barat" means the group residing in the west side of the same river. Each group is fiercely defending the honour and the reputation of its own region.

They do not use lampit plough anymore, but a mini carriage decorated with beautiful carving. The jockey dresses in a traditional uniform, a batik head dress, long sleeve shirt, a vest, and a pair of trousers.

The Buffalo Racing organizer
The Mekepung organizer is called the Coordinator of the Jembrana District Mekepung. The present coordinator is Mr. I Wayan Gelgel from the village of Delodbrawah, the head of the East Ijo Gading Group is Mr. I Ketut Astawan from the village of Dauhwaru, and the head of West Ijo Gading Group is Mr. I Wayan Deken.

Each group has 100 pairs of water buffalos, each of which has a unique name such as Batu Api, Emak Lampir, Hanoman, Gerandong, Nini Pelet, Raden Bentar, Sembara, Kalagondang, etc. These names are taken from legends made popular by tv films.

The Buffalo Racing Calendar
The Buffalo Race or Mekepung Attraction can be seen, both training and actual races, in the Jembrana district of Bali on Sundays each year from July to October,. The Bupati's Cup is held in August while the Governor's Cup is scheduled in October. Bupati is the title of the Head of the Jembrana district government whereas Gubernur/Governor is the title of the Head of the Bali province government.

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Nyepi day

Nyepi Day is Balinese Hindu’s new year called Saka. At that time, like previous years, the majority of Balinese people are Hindu, will conduct four Brata penyepian (something are dissalowed to do): do not light a fire (amati Gni), does not work (amati karya), does not travel (amati lelungan), and does not hold entertainment (amati lelanguan).

To respect the holy days, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission Area of Bali officially request the radio and TV not start broadcasting on that day. So, on the day of Nyepi Bali will be the silent crowd of all kinds, so that it is conducive to the Hindu (or anyone) who want to self-contemplation and introspection.

Nyepi implementation consists of a series of ceremonies that began with the Melasti ceremony conducted between three or four days before Nyepi. At the time of the Hindu Melasti ceremony pratima (personificasion power of God) and all equipment with a sincere heart, orderly to the ocean or other springs that are considered sacred to clean the pratima. The ceremony was conducted with pray together facing the sea. After the ceremony performed after the Melasti, pratima and all the equipment carried to the Central Court in Pura village to be buried.

A day before Nyepi, the Hindu ritual implement Mecaru the ceremony for harmonizing the human relationship with nature around, including the astral organism-organism called bhuta usual. The ceremony was held in the open field or cross road and environment in each home. The ceremony for the province, district da district in the tenga day is done. While the ceremonies in their respective home made the evening (sandyakala).

After mecaru, the event followed by a torch ngrupuk namely rice and sprinkle tawur encircle the house. While for the village level and train, the village or banjar three times with a torch and musical instrument. Since 1980, the ogoh-ogoh festival the colossus was done. Ogoh-ogoh funded with contributions of money and then burned it. Burning ogoh-ogoh symbolizing to netralize the elements in the evil power of the universe.

Ogoh-ogoh actually do not have a direct relationship with the Nyepi ceremony. Sculptures made with bamboo, paper, fabric and objects that it is a simple creativity and spontaneity as the pure community sense of spark blow ngrupuk to enliven the ceremony. Because there is no connection with the Hari Raya Nyepi, the ogoh-ogoh is clear that there is not absolute in the ceremony. However, objects that may be made permanent as a complement to cheer the ceremony and adjusted so that the shape, for example, that the form of giant Bhuta Kala.

The next day, Nyepi is coming. On this day do the people do not implement the four things that have been above that. With no fires (including machinery and electrical), not travel, does not work, and does not enjoy the entertainment, on the day of the Hindu people do that at the same time with contemplation upawasa (fasting) and mona Brata (not talking) for 24 hours.

Last series of the Saka New Year is the day Ngembak Geni, ie, a day after Nyepi. On the day this is the Saka New Year begins. On that day the Hindu visiting the families and neighbors, to forgive each other sorry.

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Saraswati day (day to thanks for the knowledge)

Saraswati Day is the special day of thanks for the gift of knowledge. The festive day is a time for making offerings to books and especially the sacred lontar palm leaf books. All books are subjects on this day. One is not supposed to read books, however schools have special ceremonies. Notedly, Pura Jagatnatha in Denpasar is jam packed with students praying for success in their studies in the early morning ceremony.
Here is a brief description of the Goddess Saraswati:

Saraswati is the Goddess of leaming, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means “essence” and swa means “self.” Thus Saraswati means “the essence of the self.” Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is worshipped by all persons interested in knowledge, especially students, teachers, scholars, and scientists.

In Her popular images and pictures, Goddess Saraswati is generally depicted with four arms (some pictures may show only two arms), wearing a white sari and seated on a white lotus. She holds a book and a rosary in her rear two hands, while the front two hands are engaged in the playing of a lute (veena). Her right leg is shown slightly pushing against her left leg. She uses a swan as her vehicle. There is a peacock by her side gazing at her. This symbolism illustrates the following spiritual ideas:

The lotus is a symbol of the Supreme Reality, and a white lotus also denotes supreme knowledge. By sitting on a lotus, Saraswati signifies that She is Herself rooted in the Supreme Reality, and symbolizes supreme knowledge. The white colour symbolizes purity and knowledge. The white sari that the Goddess is wearing denotes that She is the embodiment of pure knowledge.

The four arms denote her omnipresence and omnipotence. The two front arms indicate her activity in the physical world and the two back arms signify her presence in the spiritual world. The four hands represent the four elements of the inner personality. The mind (manas) is represented by the front right hand, the intellect (buddhi) by the front left hand, the conditioned consciousness (chitta) by the rear left hand, and the ego (ahankara) by the rear right hand.

The left side of the body symbolizes the qualities of the heart and the right side symbolizes activities of the mind and intellect. A book in the rear left hand signifies that knowledge acquired must be used with love and kindness to promote prosperity of mankind.

The rosary signifies concentration, meditation, and contemplation, leading to samadhi, or union with God. A rosary in the rear right hand representing ego conveys that true knowledge acquired with love and devotion melts the ego and results in liberation (moksha) of the seeker from the bondage to the physical world.

The Goddess is shown playing a musical instrument that is held in her front hands, which denote mind and intellect. This symbol conveys that the seeker must tune his mind and intellect in order to live in perfect harmony with the world. Such harmonious living enables the individual to utilize acquired knowledge for the welfare of all mankind.

Two swans are depicted on the left side of the Goddess. A swan is said to have a sensitive beak that enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, or the ability to discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. Saraswati uses the swan as her carrier. This indicates that one must acquire and apply knowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind. Knowledge that is dominated by ego can destroy the world.

A peacock is sitting next to Saraswati and is anxiously waiting to serve as her vehicle. A peacock depicts unpredictable behaviour as its moods can be influenced by the changes in the weather. Saraswati is using a swan as a vehicle and not the peacock. This signifies that one should overcome fear, indecision, and fickleness in order to acquire true knowledge.

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Galungan day

Galungan is a Balinese holiday that occurs every 210 days and lasts for 10 days. Kuningan is the last day of the holiday. Galungan means “When the Dharma is winning.” During this holiday the Balinese gods visit the Earth and leave on Kuningan.

Occurring once in every 210 days in the pawukon (Balinese cycle of days), Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremony that is celebrated by all Balinese in Bali or Indonesia. During the Galungan period the deified ancestors of the family descend to their former homes. They must be suitably entertained and welcomed, and prayers and offerings must be made for them. Those families who have ancestors that have not yet been cremated, but are still buried in the village cemetery, must make offerings at the graves.
Although Galungan falls on a Wednesday, most Balinese will begin their Galungan holiday the day before, where the family is seen to be busily preparing offerings and cooking for the next day. While the women of the household have been busy for days before creating beautifully woven “banten” (offerings made from young coconut fronds), the men of our village usually wake up well before dawn to join with their neighbours to slaughter a pig unlucky enough to be chosen to help celebrate this occasion. Then the finely diced pork is mashed to a pulp with a grinding stone, and moulded onto sate sticks that have been already prepared by whittling small sticks of bamboo. Chickens may also be chosen from the collection of free-range chickens that roam around the house compound. Delicate combinations of various vegetables, herbs and spices are also prepared by the men to make up a selection of lawar dishes. While much of this cooking is for use in the offerings to be made at the family temple, by mid-morning, once all the cooking is done, it is time for the first of a series of satisfying feasts from what has been prepared. While the women continue to be kept busy with the preparations of the many offerings to be made at the family temple on the day of Galungan, the men also have another job to do this day, once the cooking is finished. A long bamboo pole, or penjor, is made to decorate the entrance to the family compound. By late Tuesday afternoon all over Bali the visitor can see these decorative poles creating a very festive atmosphere in the street.

On Wednesday, the day of Galungan, one will find that most Balinese will try to return to their own ancestral home at some stage during the day, even if they work in another part of the island. This is a very special day for families, where offerings are made to God and to the family ancestors who have come back to rest at this time in their family temple. As well as the family temple, visits are made to the village temple with offerings as well, and to the homes of other families who may have helped the family in some way over the past six months.

The day after Galungan is a time for a holiday, visiting friends, maybe taking the opportunity to head for the mountains for a picnic. Everyone is still seen to be in their Sunday best as they take to the streets to enjoy the festive spirit that Galungan brings to Bali.

The date for Galungan and other special Balinese days is shown on the Balinese Calendar.

Come to Bali to see the Holiday celebration yourself.

Galungan is the most important feast for Balinese Hindus, a celebration to honor the creator of the universe (Ida Sang Hyang Widi) and the spirits of the honored ancestors.

The festival symbolizes the victory of good (Dharma) over evil (Adharma), and encourages the Balinese to show their gratitude to the creator and sainted ancestors.

Offerings to the Ancestors
Galungan occurs once in the 210-day cycle of the Balinese calendar, and marks the time of the year when the spirits of the ancestors are believed to visit the earth. Balinese Hindus perform rituals that are meant to welcome and entertain these returning spirits.

The house compounds that make up the nucleus of Balinese society come alive with devotions offered by the families living within. Families offer bountiful sacrifices of food and flowers to the ancestral spirits, expressing gratitude and hopes for protection. These sacrifices are also offered at local temples, which are packed with devotees bringing their offerings.

The whole island sprouts tall bamboo poles called "penjor" - these are usually decorated with fruit, coconut leaves, and flowers, and set up on the right of every residence entrance. At each gate, you'll also find small bamboo altars set up especially for the holiday, each one bearing woven palm-leaf offerings for the spirits.

Intensive Preparations
The preparations for Galungan begin several days before the actual feast day.

Three days before Galungan - "Penyekeban" - families begin their preparations for Galungan. "Penyekeban" literally means "the day to cover up ", as this is the day when green bananas are covered up in huge clay pots to speed their ripening.

Two days before Galungan - "Penyajahan" - marks a time of introspection for Balinese, and more prosaically, a time to make the Balinese cakes known as jaja. These colored cakes made of fried rice dough are used in offerings and are also eaten specially on Galungan. This time of the year finds a glut of jaja in every village market.

A day before Galungan - "Penampahan", or slaughter day - Balinese slaughter the sacrificial animals that will go into the temple or altar offerings. Galungan is marked by the sudden surplus of traditional Balinese food, like lawar (a spicy pork and coconut sauce dish) and satay.

On Galungan day itself, Balinese devotees pray at the temples and make their offerings to the spirits. Women are seen carrying the offerings on their heads, while men bring palm fronds.

The day after Galungan, Balinese visit their kinfolk and closest friends.

The tenth day after Galungan - "Kuningan" - marks the end of Galungan, and is believed to be the day when the spirits ascend back to heaven. On this day, Balinese make special offerings of yellow rice.

Ngelawang - Dance of the Barong
During Galungan, a ceremony known as Ngelawang is performed in the villages. Ngelawang is an exorcism ceremony performed by a "barong" - a divine protector in the form of a mythical beast.

The barong is invited into houses as he makes his way through the village. His presence is meant to restore the balance of good and evil in a house. The residents of the house will pray before the dancing barong, who will afterwards give a piece of his fur as a keepsake.

After the barong pays a visit, it is important to make an offering of a canang sari containing money.

A Treat for the Senses
While the actual festivities are open to Balinese only, tourists who visit Bali during this holiday get an eyeful of the local color.

It isn't every day you see richly-dressed women crossing the street to make food offerings to the local temple - and there's something festive about the penjor swaying in the wind everywhere you look!

During Galungan, some local restaurants ride the rising demand for Balinese food by offering specials on all sorts of native dishes. This is a great time to try Balinese food for the first time!

On the downside, many places will be closed for Galungan, as their devout Balinese employees will likely be going to their respective villages to celebrate.

As the Balinese calendar follows a 210-day cycle, Galungan happens twice a year roughly every six months. The holiday is calculated to occur on the following dates:

March 18-28, 2009
October 14-24, 2009
May 12-22, 2010
December 8-10, 2010
July 6-16, 2011
February 1-11, 2012
You might want to reserve a hotel in Bali early for these days, as holiday-goers from all over are making Galungan plans of their own!

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Jegog (Uniq traditional balinese bamboo music)

Bamboo grown in west Bali reaches monstrous proportions the likes of which are not known elsewhere on the island. This quirk of nature has been exploited by local musicians with the creation of the gamelan jegog, so named for the remarkablejegogan that is the sonic core of the ensemble. Individual tubes on these may stretch to an incredible 3 meters in length, with circumferences of 60-65 centimeters.3 They are so unwieldy that a pair of musicians must sit on top of the frame of the instrument in order to play it. It requires quite a pounding with thick rubber beaters to coax music out of them, but what finally emerges is a sound so powerful that it seems to enter the body through the stomach rather than the ears.
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