Village wedding full of social significance
Village wedding full of social significance
Made Jagra, Contributor, Denpasar
He is neither rich nor noble.
Sixty-three-year-old Wayan Biasa is just an ordinary, modest
farmer who happened to fall for a woman much younger than
himself, 35-year-old Ni Ketut Yasni.
For the happy pair, who live in the small village of
Abiansemal, 30 kilometers west of Denpasar, age is no barrier to
love. When they got married, everybody in the village was
delighted and eagerly helped prepare for the wedding.
Like a couple from a well-off family, Wayan Biasa and Ketut
Yasni dressed in glittering Balinese wedding costumes. A long
procession, which involved the entire village, included a special
horse-drawn wedding cart.
The groom cheerfully waved to members of his family, friends
and guests, while the bride shyly looked on.
They stepped down from the cart and onto a long carpet of
white and yellow material, which symbolized purity, and led to a
family shrine where the wedding ceremony took place.
The ceremony was covered by local print and electronic media
and was attended by a number of local high-ranking government
officials, as well as members of political parties.
It all began seven years ago, when the unmarried Wayan Biasa
fell in love with Ketut Yasni. Despite his advanced years, Wayan
Biasa had never married before, a rarity in Balinese society,
particularly for men.
When Wayan Biasa expressed his intention of marrying his
sweetheart, Ketut Yasni, he found himself the laughing stock of
his friends. Even his family was dubious.
I Gusti Gede Agung Bawa, a villager, said he hadn't believed
it was possible. "He was too old for Ketut Yasni, and everybody
in the village doubted her love for him," Bawa said.
Convinced that Yasni would never marry Wayan Biasa, many
villagers started making sesangi (promises) of their own, as a
joke.
I Nyoman Subandi, one of the villagers, promised to invite
Bali TV, a local station, to cover the wedding ceremony if Wayan
Bias managed to pull the event off.
Many villagers promised to donate suckling pigs, ducks, rice,
soft drinks, clothes and cash. "Most were shocked when Biasa
actually proposed to Yasni through her family. This meant that
they had to fulfill their promises, which at first were just
jokes or encouragement for Wayan Biasa to marry Yasni," Agung
Bawa said.
Sesangi, for most Balinese people, are important promises that
should be carried out -- if one doesn't want to face the
consequences. "You can't go back on your word, as you made a
promise before others, God and the world at large," he added.
Within Balinese-Hindu society, sesangi can be regarded as
promises to oneself that carry important social messages, and
that one should keep for the rest of their life.
As Wayan Biasa was set to marry Yasni, villagers who had made
promises kept them. "For us, it was not a burden -- we felt happy
for them," Subandi said, while pointing to some Bali TV crew
members. It was he who promised to invite a local TV station to
cover the wedding ceremony.
When asked how many children the couple wanted to have, the
villagers anxiously awaited the answer, as Wayan Biasa is over
60.
"We have already conceived -- even if you don't believe it,"
laughed Wayan Biasa.
Ketut Yasni was quite embarrassed. "Actually, I've been
pregnant for two months," she smiled.
The wedding of these two ordinary villagers was filled with
social significance. It reflected the lasting sense of community
and solidarity of the Balinese people.
It could also be perceived as a good example for others,
especially the political elite, to keep their promises more
often.