Ancestors Day in Sakti, Bali

The preparations for this day were dramatic and humorous for us as we joined our host family to celebrate Galungan Day in the village we were privileged to stay for one week in October.

After walking about half a mile through the village we are greeted at Pura (Temple) Dalem Bentuyung. The whole village has come for this day of greeting the spirits of ancestors with food and prayers. Both Ellen and I were very moved as we greeted and were greeted by Ellen's father's family in these temples. Here is the procedure for the ceremony that we participated.

Prayer ceremony follows these steps:

1. ‘Wash’ your hands and face in the smoke from the incense.
2. Close your eyes and pray with empty hands – your palms should be pressed together and held at forehead height with your thumbs almost touching your head.
3. Cleanse a flower in the incense smoke and hold it between your fingertips for the next prayer. This step is repeated usually 3 times but sometimes more. This is directed by the pemangku so again, watch what others are doing and follow.
4. Put the flower in your hair, behind your ear, or discard it on the ground in front of you.
5. The final prayer is with empty hands again.
6. Wait for the pemangku to come and sprinkle holy water on you. When he/she approaches, put your hands in the air and bow your head.
7. After being sprinkled with holy water, you need to hold your cupped hands out, right over left, to accept more holy water. Drink 3 times and pour the final water over your head.
8. Take a pinch of bija (wet rice grains) with your right hand and place in your left palm. This rice should be placed on your forehead and throat and a few grains should be eaten.
9. When the people around you start getting up, follow them to the next prayer location.

Wayan Lisih helping me with the water purification ceremony.

 

 Ellen, Wayan Adi, and Lon at the gate to the temple. Adi is always greeting us in the mornings during breakfast that is prepared by his mother Wayan Sukaniti and his grandmother Madi, Wayan Lisih does his part as well. Do you like my sarong? Ellen's dress is purple of course.

 Wayan Lisih and Wayan Adi laughing together at the temple gate.

Cousins of the family at the temple.

 Wayan Lisih and Lon are having a post ceremony feast at his family's home. Lisih's father, mother, and 6 uncles live here. Check out my Balinese Udeng (headdress) required for the ceremonies.

Wayan Lisih and Wayan Sukaniti transporting food to Sukaniti's home and to the temple.

Happy Galungan Day 4

After lunch we walk the short mile back to our cottage for a swim and rest. In the middle of my nap I wake to the songs of gongs and drums. Wow, there is a group of young lion dancers, a band, and their leader inside our compound.

Happy Galungan Day 3

From the temples we walk to Wayan Lisih's home for some noon food.





Wayan Lisih's cousin.





Wayan Lisih's home compound includes his father's house and the houses of six uncles. All of his aunts live with their husband's families.


Lisih's mother who made us wonderful rice wine pudding.

Happy Galungan Day 2

We visit three temples starting first with the rice goddess temple.

Happy Galungan Day 1

This morning we dress and walk together to the temple for prayers to renew the universe.

Galungan

Every 210 days in the Hindu calendar of Bali the ancestral spirits visit earth. Today is the day, and we will dress to go to the temple this morning, have a procession at about noon, and dine with the family this evening.
The streets of this village, Sakti, are lined with Penjor in front of every home. Wayan Lisih and his father-in-law were creating theirs when we arrived Sunday morning, now it is standing by the front gate.




They have a special Penjor for a newly married couple up the street that we may meet today.




This festival lasts for about 12 days. It will end on November 2 when the spirits return to their home. There will also be a large cremation in the center of Ubud on that day.

Cock Fight Sakti

The small village here had a cock fight today. It was a men only affair, yes only stupid men betting on the life and death of the poor critters, and it is a fight to death.






They tie these knives onto the left legs of the cocks.


Then they introduce the tow cocks to each other.



Then the bets, and if there are not equal bets they disqualify the challenger.


The they release the cocks. Two of the tree fights I watched lasted 30 seconds or less.


Many of the bets were 1,000,000 Rupiah or more which is about $100.

White Herons of Bali

We have named these birds Cattle Egrets because they are often seen in fields following or on top,of cattle getting lunch. Here in Bali there is a special village, Petulu Gunug, where almost all of the White Herons of Bali come in the thousands to roost for the night.



This heron has missed the near by tree and landed on a bamboo street decoration created for holiday on Wenesday.



is a very poor village about 3 kilometers from Ubud at the end of the road in the hills. There is a wonderful cool breeze as we arrive in the village on motos with our host family.


The herons are in breeding plumage (the golden mantle) and are beginning to build nests in the roosting trees.


Here a heron forages with the local chickens.





It was in 1965 that the village was allowed to restore its local god with the Ida Bhetara Mesineb ceremony that the birds started to come to the,village trees.
In 1966 there was the vicious take over by Suharto when thousands if not millions of Indonesians were executed for being left of center. The villagers believe that the massive return of the White Herons represent the souls of those slaughtered in their villages. There is a Hollywood version of these events in the film "A Year of Living Dangerously."

Bee Keeping Balinese Style

Today we visited a small coffee herb farm where they grow nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, cocoa, as well as two kinds of coffee. To help pollinate all the plants they have several bee hives made from giant bamboo.












Ellen roasting coffee beans.




I Wayan and Ni Wayan our hosts at Kubki Sakti. Wayan is the name given to all first born Children in Bali. Made is the name for second born, Nyoman is for third born, Katut is for fourth born, and for fifth born they start all over again with Wayan. I Wayan is for male, and Ni Wayan is for female.




I Wayan Nisih grinding coffee beans.

Jegog Perfomance and Balinese Dance

No sooner they we arrived in this small Bali hill village this afternoon than we learned of a performance. We only had to walk about 500 yards to the center of town to find the dance center. Luckily being so close we got front row seats.



The traditional instruments are made of giant bamboo. The musician sits on top of this deep bass instrument to play it.



Here is the young dance troupe. They are all young men and women from the high school. The drummers, flute players, and Jegog players are men from the village.



This is the offerings to the gods dance.





This is the harvest dance.



This is the wild duck dance.



These are the new very large Surya Agung (Great Sun) Instruments. Built from giant bamboo 20 meters tall and 25 centimeters in diameter. The finished instrument is 13 feet wide by 11 feet tall and takes three people to play. They are performing a new age form of Jegog music. A few of us went on stage and danced to the deep vibrations of the music.



This is the water buffalo dance.