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.