Omed - Omedan

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.

Perang Pandan

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.