Whole lot of kissing going on in Balinese ritual
Whole lot of kissing going on in Balinese ritual
By I Wayan Juniarta
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Dozens of young men and women
passionately hugged and kissed in front of hundreds of onlookers
along Jl. Sesetan in Denpasar last week.
For hundreds of years, the Banjar Kaja community in Sesetan,
four kilometers south of Denpasar, has kept the age-old tradition
of med-medan alive for years for the sake of the welfare of the
village and its people.
No one knows when the tradition started.
"It is the legacy of our ancestors," commented an old village
chief.
Med-medan takes place a day after the Hindu Day of Silence,
which fell on April 4 this year.
During the rite, hundreds of teenagers grouped under the
Sekeha Teruna-Teruni Satya Dharma Kerti youth organization
gathered around the village's balai banjar (community building).
They marched to a nearby temple to pray and then divided the
participants into two groups. Participants of each group chose a
couple to open the ceremony.
The couple began to kiss, followed by other members of the
groups.
A visitor from a nearby village, I Wayan Jani, commented that
they were actually lovers and the ceremony was strictly limited
to only residents of Banjar Kaja village.
"I have frequently tried to participate in the event, but they
always recognize me," said Wayan.
Outsiders are prohibited from joining med-medan. Villagers
will catch and sometimes throw water and other things over
strangers if they are found taking part in the ceremony.
For most Balinese people who still strongly embrace tradition
and ethical values, the ritual is a weird and embarrassing sight.
Efforts to stop the Banjar Kaja villagers from holding such a
ceremony have long been made by traditional chiefs of the
neighboring villages, as well as the highest Hindu body,
Parishada Hindu Dharma.
"In the past, each man was only allowed to kiss a girl's cheek
or her forehead. Now, they are kissing and hugging like movie
stars in Western films," said a village chief.
Some leaders of Banjar Kaja village had tried to stop the
ceremony for a few years. But, something strange happened.
"Many people in the village became ill. They suffered from
unknown diseases," said the chief.
Other bad signs appeared on the day of the ceremony. People
witnessed two fighting pigs at the balai banjar. They did not
know where the pigs came from. People tried in vain to kick the
animals out of the village but the two pigs refused to move.
The Balinese people believed that there must be something
wrong with their lives. A spiritual leader warned them that the
spirits of their ancestors were angry because they had stopped
the med-medan ceremony.
Only after the villagers held a ritual to ask for their
ancestors' forgiveness and blessing, the pigs strangely
disappeared and the people recovered from their mysterious
illnesses.
Legend says that Anak Agung Ngurah, from the ancient Puri
(Palace) Sesetan, fell ill. He ordered all the villagers to stop
making noises.
While ill, the king wanted to transform the dynamic village
into a secluded and quiet place.
After years of seclusion, people became bored with their
lifeless village. They went to the balai banjar and spontaneously
held a party.
The king was furious that his people had violated his order.
Suddenly, as he was scolding the people, his body began to
tremble and for the first time he felt healthy.
He expressed his gratitude to his people and allowed them to
annually hold the med-medan ceremony.
The Banjar Kaja villagers and the authorities have
compromised. The villagers can continue to hold med-medan, a day
after the Hindu Day of Silence.
The once sacred ceremony has now changed into a more profane
celebration. The recent med-medan ceremony was long-awaited,
especially by the youth and tourists.