GAMELAN ORCHESTRA |
THOSE ABOUT TO GET TOOTH FILING |
BAMBOO CARVING |
BAMBOO & FOOD CARVING |
TOOTH FILING |
TOOTH FILING |
FILING |
before the person is cremated.
GRANDPA GET HIS TOOTH FILED |
MORE FILING |
GIRLS WAITING FOR CEREMONY |
GRILLING SATAY |
CEREMONIAL DANCE |
We are constantly surprised by a procession of villagers dressed in their finery walking through a village on the way to a ceremony; or a cremation procession with a huge black bull carrying a corpse on the way to the burning of the body; or we may just be driving past a temple where a ceremony is taking place.
With the thousands of temples on the island--each family compound has one, as does ever community, village, city, region and state--there are ceremonies for every occasion one can imagine plus many for
reasons one cannot imagine. There are ceremonies for 6 month occasions, and some for 1 year, 5 year 10 year, 30 year, and so on. Then there are the Balinese holidays which require more ceremonies.
The Balinese also put little offerings out in front of and around their homes and businesses every day of the year. So you can see how much time and money is spent on their religious practices, as these events are time-consuming and expensive, what with making elaborate decorations and preparing offerings of food and flowers. These preparations usually take many days with both the men and women involved.
CEREMONIAL DANCE |
WALKING WITH THE EVIL BARONG |
LIKE CHILDREN EVERYWHERE |
What I have written here is but a taste of the complex nature of the rituals here, and I am ill-equipped to get much further into them, although I am learning more all the time.
The pictures on this page are from a few recent ceremonies, not only from the tooth filing.
PRIEST CHANTING |
THE BACKUP SINGERS |
MORE GAMELAN |
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Best of luck to two wonderful people. I coinsider myself so lucky to have met you and share time with you two years ago in Bali. It was the experience of mylife and hope to do it again next year. Best of luck in your new house in Bali. Here's to a new life! Sue Domenico
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