Bali, is the Island full with the ritual of the curlural to worship the ancestors, Goddes.
Manggis Garden Dive Resort, visited Tenganan, Pegrisingan to attend their annual tradition ” PERANG PANDAN / Mekare-kare “. Ob 12-13 June 2017.
History of the Pandan War Tradition in Tenganan Village.
In Bali Aga Society is the worshiper of Indra God as the Main God. While in most of the tribe of Bali Majapahit who became the Main God is Lord Shiva. Besides other differences that may be seen is the difference in the shape of the building and the position of the temple building. They are also not familiar with the “caste” system as is the culture of most other Balinese Hindu societies. Oh yes, when other Balinese Hindu people carry out the Nyepi Day . In Tenganan Village and villages with the Bali Aga community did not participate.
Well that first glance info about Tenganan Village with its Bali Aga community. For the early history of how this pandanus war eventually becomes a routine tradition every year in the village of Tenganan. In the ancient tale there was a tyrant and cruel king when governing the people of Bali Aga long before the arrival of majapahit people to the island of Bali. The king named Maya Denawa. Because he has a supernatural powers that make him arrogant and consider himself a god and forbid people to worship the God of Indra. Because he is the one who deserves to be worshiped. Because people feel the Maya King Denawa is out of bounds then the people then appeal to God Indra to free them from the cruelty of Maya Denawa.
So the god Indra went down to the world to defeat the arrogant King Maya Denawa. Although there had been a battle / war between Maya Denawa and Dewa Indra. But in the end Maya Denawa can be defeated and perish over his pride. Since then the people of Tenganan Village commemorate the death of Maya Denawa. They do the tradition of pandanus war each year to relive their freedom over the cruel atrocities of the Maya King of Denawa and to honor Indra God who is also known by the Hindu community as a God of War.
Among Tenganan people, mageret pandan is part of a month-full ceremony called ‘Usabha Sambah’, a ritual to honour the gods, especially Indra, and also to honor the ancestors, held every sasih Kalima — the fifth month on the Balinese calendar around June.The weapon used is a 15cm club made by tying 10-15 leaves of pandan together. Each of the leaves is edged with small sharp thorns. The shield is a rattan buckler. Techniques are mostly swinging strikes, but the competitors resort to scratching each other when in-fighting. Participants compete shirtless, wearing only a sarong (kamen) and traditional headdress (udeng). According to tradition, perang pandan is compulsory for Tenganan males. For the young, it serves as a rite of passage into manhood; children as young as seven have participated.
The blood shed during this ritual was meant as an offering to appease the gods. The wounds suffered by participants were healed using traditional ointment, made from a mixture of arrack, turmeric, galangal and other spices.
There are many young balinese girls with their tranditional costumes, they are so beautiful.
I will the story again – when we visited another village with another story.
Cheers
Manggis Garden Dive Resort, Banjar Dinas Pengubugan – Manggis, Karangasem
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