Rituals
and Bali go hand in hand it seems. This time around, Putu Sayoga checks out one
of the most famous on the Island of the Gods: The Mekotek ritual.
The Hindus of Bali celebrate a religious day known as Kuningan, which
commemorates the victory of dharma over adharma. The ritual is held ten days
after Galungan and twice a year, according to the Balinese calendar. Kuningan
is usually marked by various unique rituals, one of the most famous of which is
known as Mekotek and is held by the villagers of Munggu in Mengwi in the District
of Badung.
The
Mekotek ritual was first held back in 1928 and is conducted by the men of the village.
These men employ long wooden poles called kotekan during the ritual.
In
the distance, the sound of the Gamelan
Gong Kebyar begins to echo, accompanying a procession of sacred weapons that is
being transported to Pura (temple) Dalem where the start of the ritual will
take place. Once they arrive, these poles are taken inside for the Ngider
Bhuana decoration process, during which the participants walk around
the village. After waiting for a time, the gamelan starts up again and the
troupe of men and their kotekan head for the Pura Puseh.
Directly
in front of Pura Puseh, clerics sprinkle holy water over the participants and
the Mekotek ritual officially
starts. Out in the street in front of the temple, poles are entwined into the
form of a mountain peak, while a boisterous barging also gets underway. Once
the "mountains" have been created, a child climbs to the top of one
of them and two friends join him. Suddenly, the mountain caves in, sending the
children tumbling.
Afterwards,
the participants make their way to Pura Desa and the whole drama is
repeated. Once the ritual at Pura Desa finishes, the participants
head down to Pura Dalem for the ritual's finale. This time around, when the
mountain eventually collapses, hurling the child to the ground, the spectacle
is greeted with laughter from onlookers and participants alike.
The
Mekotek ritual ends as it arrived in front of the temple. The participants then
go their separate ways, carrying their poles with them.
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