I’m starting to wonder this blog is actually worth me writing as I wanted to fill it with lots of pretty pictures but there have been some big ceremonies going on recently and I don’t want to take my camera for fear of looking like a tourist!
We had the Perainan ceremony for the family temple yesterday. This happens about every six months (210 days) and is a bit like the birthday for the temple (called Odalan for temples outside the home). Lots of offerings were prepared for the temple and family members came over in the morning. The pemangku chanted while the women sang special ceremonial songs and then we all prayed together in the temple. In the evening Made and I went to his grandfather’s house to pray in the family temple there.
The other big ceremony that happened today is a very important ceremony in our village (Mas) that happens once only every 35 years called Karya Pedanan. The preparations for this have been going on for months as there were many offerings to prepare, constructions to be built and ceremonial dances to plan and practice for. I haven’t really been involved in the preparations for this ceremony but I attended the opening ceremony last week and the actual ceremony today. Made also took part in the preparations along with the rest of the men from the village – sleeping in the temple some nights to keep watch and preparing food. In the weeks leading up to the ceremony, many people from the village took part in a procession first to the sea and then a few days to the river – made said this is “taking the gods for a shower”?!
For the opening ceremony everyone from the village came and sat outside the market, near the entrance to the temple. There were various dances with gamelan music and a procession with barong (mythical animal that looks a bit like the dragons you see at chinese new year). There was cockfighting on the road outside the entrance to the temple as blood needs to be spilled for part of the ceremony. After the dancing and processions everyone prayed and then we all went back home, which was somewhat of a relief after sitting cross-legged on the ground for a good few hours.
Today for the actual ceremony we walked to the temple and spent a long time standing waiting for everything to begin. Every person from the village who was able to come was at this ceremony so there were people as far as you could see. Everyone was dressed up in their best temple clothes with lots of makeup, special hairpieces and head dresses for the women (normally only the men wear headdresses)and everyone showing off their gold. Unfortunately the wet season has well and truly started here and despite the claims that it never rains during a ceremony, we spent a fair bit of time huddled sheltering from the rain. This got a bit hot and uncomfortable and the guy next to me fainted and had to be taken away in an ambulance. Finally the instruction came to sit down and pray and the rain managed to hold off until we were finished, even though the prayers went on for a very long time and we had to wait for the pemangku (priests) to give us holy water and rice individually after praying. Although all that waiting was tiring, I was very glad to be part of this ceremony and lucky to see it as it really is a special occurence. And I have no photos sadly! but there were some official looking photographers hanging around and a few tourists so if anyone reading this has photos, please let me know!
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