Mepeed Tradition | Balinese Parade

The Unique of Mapeed Traditions

This is the one of Balinese Parade called Mapeed. It is the unique things that you can see in Bali. Mapeed held by the Balinese women in white or yellow kebaya because that colour is symbolizing purity, lined up long with fruits arrangement of offerings towering on its head.

 Mapeed is taken from word ‘peed’ means ‘like a parade‘. This tradition has already existed since 1711. It is a manifestation of Balinese Hindus gratitude to the God..Now, it has become a cultural heritage from generation to generation . Mapeed usually held on the village while the Balinese ceremony.Married women do their hair is a style called sanggul. 

Mapeed usually accompanied by Balinese marching or gongs, drums and cymbals called baleganjur which they can walk more than 1 km distance.The procession is always keep by Balinese security or called Pecalang who usually wearing the combine of black and white uniforms.The arrangement of towering fruits that they bring on its head called Gebogan. Fruits, flowers and cakes arranged in  a kind of tray called Dulang. It has a high average of 1 meter and make Mapeed Balinese parade is so amaze and interest to see.

After the Mapeed procession done or they arrived at the temple , the woman who be a participants will help by the Balinese holy peolpe called Pemangku to take the Gebogan into the holy place. And after purifying with the holy water called Tirtha, then the ceremony begins.

If you come to Bali and see the Balinese parade who brings the Gebogan, yes that's called Mapeed and if you want to get more information about others traditions in Bali, please contact BaliStar Island to give you an information that you want to know about Bali.

Megoak-goakan | Balinese Traditional Game

Bali famous with a lot of place of interest,but beside that it has many of traditional festivals or traditions with different things each others . Such as Omed-omedan or Kissing Festival , Bali Kite Festival, or Mekepung Festival. But do you know the Balinese Traditional Festival in the north part of Bali ? Yes, I will give you an information about that. It's called Megoak-goakan or raven traditional game. You can see the unique tradition at Panji Village, Singaraja City, Buleleng Regency. Megoak-goakan is a one proof of rich culture and traditional game are still continued until now. The game usually held before Nyepi Ceremony or  The Silence Day in Bali arrived .

The game not only for the youngster but also the older people can enjoy that. A team consisting of 11 participants against the other groups with the same number. You can feel the togetherness while you follow it  and don't worry about the orderly because that game will be managing by the Balinese security or called Pecalang. 

The history of Megoak-goakan

Based of the philosophy or on the 17th century, the activity it self is a re-staging of the history of heroism Ki Barak Panji Sakti known as a hero from Buleleng Regency

. And that is should be continued for the next. So if you wanna try that game, come and enjoy it on the day before the Silence day at Panji Village. Or you can contact the local tour Bali Star Island to accompany and accommodate your trip to Buleleng to see an atrraction.

Mesabatan Biu ( Banana War )

Morning Friends, back to My Trips My Experience, I give an title to my journey at last weekend, I hear some unique information, this tell about a unique tradition at Tenganan village. As I know Tenganan has Megeret Pandan ( Pandan War ) but this is the other one, that is Mesabatan Biu ( Banana war ) , I am glad to hear that, that the reason make me visit this village again. Mesabatan Biu is a unique tradition at Tenganan. The purpose of this ceremony for choice a leader and vice of gatherings of youngest people at Tenganan village western part by the river ( Tenganan Dauh Tukad ). That the fine time I visit Tenganan village, I can see the procession of this ceremony and the other ceremony are held at third mouth (Aci Katiga).

When arrived in early morning at Tenganan village, I saw  all of the youngest people find a banana fruit and coconut for held the ceremony. Just one thing make me so surprise, I saw the weapon in this war they used Banana fruit. Banana Fruit be a weapon??? before I arrived this village, I don't know how can the names of this war can be banana war, I know  I got the meaning ,that's the reason why this war named Banana War because they used banana fruits. The main area of this war is  held at the area of Bale Agung Temple, I stand at the Bale Lantang (long building) to stand at the good place to take a photo. I saw 16 person, the local people told the 16 person  had been choice by the leader of village, the 16 person will fight or throw the leader and vice candidates by the banana fruit. On the corner of the street stand up the candidates and  in the front stand up the 16 person, the candidates must pass the banana war, if the candidate arrive at the temple they can be the leader and vice of gatherings of youngest people at this village, the war is ending by eating together at the temple. This is My Trips My Experience today, see i unique ceremony at Tenganan Village

Perang Jempana ( battle of deities’ effigies )

Perang Jempana (battle of deities’ effigies) Ritual is held at the Pura Panti Timbrah in Paksebali village, near Klungkung, Bali every 210 days precisely on Kuningan Holyday. This temple is a clan temple of Pasek Bendesa which its origin can be traced back to Timbrah village in Karangasem, its congregation about 80 head of family (about 380 people). The preparation for Perang Jempana is already start in the morning, the members of the clan gather together in the temple and prepare the offering for Perang Jempana ritual.

At 5:30 PM, the sound of Kul-Kul (Balinese traditional alarm made of hollowed wood) urges all the clan members to gather in the temple. The male members of the clan are bare-chested and the female members use their best cloths. Before the deities’ effigies are prepared for Perang Jempana, they are placed in a special place in the temple, given special offering by the Pemangku (temple priest). After the deities effigies are installed in the Jempana (the palanquins attached to bamboo stretchers in which the deities’ effigies are carried), they are paraded to the Pura Taman (a temple near Unda River in which the Pemangku (temple priest) asks for holy water). The Jempana are placed inside the temple given a set of offering and the pemangku (temple priest) asks for holy water, while the members of the clan take a bath in the river, in order to purify themselves before attending the sacred Perang Jempana ritual.

After the holy water is obtained the deities’ effigies in Jempana (palanquins) are taken back to the temple. Arriving in the temple the deities’ effigies in Jempana are welcomed with Rejang dance by the young female members of the clan. The male members of the clan welcomed the deities’ effigies in Jempana  by performing a kind of Baris dance in which the dancers holding a Kris in their right hand and waving the Kris in half trance condition. After the welcoming dance is over the deities’ effigies in Jempana are given a set of offering. This offering is used for placating the deities and asking their permission for holding a Perang Jempana and asking their willingness to take a part in this ritual. After this placating ceremony is over, the Perang Jempana is ready to start. Perang Jempana is held in the late afternoon and involves dozens of young men carrying the deities’ effigies on jempana.

The Jempana are beautifully decorated with yellow and gold color cloths, flower and leaves. A dozen of young men carry each Jempana, the bearers are going into trance, running around the temple ground, chasing and crashing each other Jempana. This activity is accompanied by the high spirited Gamelan orchestra makes this Perang Jempana goes more and more frenzy. Sometimes a certain people from a huge crowd of onlookers which gather on the temple ground fall into a collective trance, adds a new color to this amazing ceremony.