Our wonderful friend and driver Mr. Eka gave me an amazing opportunity to attend a purification ceremony for his daughter Erika in Denpasar. The ritual was partly conducted by this extraordinarily beautiful elder priestess temporarily in a wheelchair because of a knee injury. I don’t know how old she was but it was incredible to see how women hold high ranking positions in their religion until very late in their lives. (Look at the ancient photo above her where she is conducting a ceremony with her late husband) Her son or nephew, I wasn’t sure, presided over the rest of the ceremony and I was completely welcomed to both watch and participate.
Balinese religion is far too complicated to explain or comprehend for most but I did manage to get a basic understanding by doing a bit of research about it. Erika was born during a time considered to be inauspicious called the Wuku Wayang. Someone born during this week has a taste for the arts and are bound to be creative but may also be egoistic, stubborn, uncontrollable and selfish. So to prevent life on earth from being difficult and full of confusion Lord Shiva instructed these people to have a purification every six months for their entire lives! Holy water used in this ritual is invoked from a priest/priestess puppeteer and sprinkled (or poured) on the persons head to control the vice qualities and help them to develop wisely as artists. (a brilliant concept useful cross-culturally) Shadow puppets aren’t just for entertainment but actually represent the holy gods who enact the ancient sagas of good battling evil. The important gods/puppets used to perform this ritual were carefully unwrapped from their holy cloth and then replaced in their sacred cabinet. (quite a different impression of them since my days of selling stacks of them at Ethnic Arts!)
Watching this ceremony unfold was an extaordinary glimpse into the infinite layers of religion, spirituality and history that pervade this island. A journey through time when I believe all our ancestors lived in constant effort to keep the world holy and in balance. The Balinese are the key holders to living in harmony with both nature and each other in this modern world. I marvel at how this culture remains so intact and cohesive even in the face of exponential change around the world where ancient cultures have all but disappeared to embrace our monoculture of capitalism. By being present and witnessing this ceremony and others I felt myself purified and blessed by the beautiful energy of faith and rightous living around me. Om Swastiastu!
Erika still obviously not thrilled with getting sprinkled…
Rice on the forehead is part of every ritual, symbolizing the sacred element that sustains life.
Erika learning prayer hands
Mr. Eka’s beautiful family.
Hand spun cotton bracelets tied to seal the ceremony and blessings performed.
Me in the family car on our ride back to Ubud
