Thursday, December 25, 2014

Otonan | The Hindu's Balinese Birthday



Otonan – Balinese Birthday




If the people beyond Bali celebrate their birthday with a party, the Hindu Balinese celebrate their birthday with a ceremony. This ceremony is called Otonan or Ngotonin. Different with the birthday anniversary that using only the calculation of the date and month, Otonan conducted every 6 months (210 days) once by using the Balinese Calender calculation, 1 month = 35 days.


Otonan (birthday) is an immensely important celebration for the Hindu Balinese. It constitutes right moment to reorganize, encourage the relationship of human self with the four integrated companions as the otonan contains two dimensional aspects, both sekala (visible) and niskala (invisible). By this, it is also expected to promote harmony between the body with soul and finally reach eternal bliss here and after.
Otonan is a day when Balinese aware of their self. A Balinese mother always remember when her child’s otonan is though the mother is illiterate she can count correctly when the day of otonan is. The fundamental purpose of an otonan is to purify and convey spiritual strength.


Balinese don’t celebrate their birthdays with cake, candles and presents and there are no formal invitations. Instead, the family makes offerings called natab and the person whose birthday it is will pray for health, happiness and guidance amidst wafts of ritual smoke. At the end of the ceremony, a piece of white cotton called benang sri datu is tied around the person’s right wrist, hung over the ears and one is placed on the head. These all fall off in time. Whilst on the body, they are said to protect the wearer from negative influences such as demons known as butha-kala.
 

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