The Uniqueness of Balinese Culture ~ Part 2 to 5

1. Trunyan Village Cemetery

In general, people who die in Bali, especially for Hindus, besides being buried can be burned or cremated directly, however, a unique tradition with a different culture can be found in Trunyan Village, Kintamani, Bangli regency, which is also one of Bali Aga villages. When a person dies, the body or body of the person is only placed under the tree of Menyan, the body is placed on the ground without being buried, only fenced in by bamboo (serving food) so that it is not sought by animals or wild animals, strangely not in the least of the body smelled bad, until finally, only bones remained, and the bones were later placed in a place in the area, the cemetery in Trunyan completes the list of unique cultures and traditions of the archipelago - Indonesia. Because of the uniqueness of the traditional village cemetery, Trunyan became a tourist destination on the island of Bali which is a tourist tour destination.

2. The Mekare-Kare Tradition

Mekare-kare is also known as pandanus war, a unique tradition on the island of Bali is only carried out in the traditional village of Tenganan, Karangasem which is also known as the Bali Aga village. The war was fought one-on-one with each holding a thorny pandanus as a weapon. Tenganan Village is also one of the Bali Aga villages, which claims to be a native of Bali. Mekare-kare or the Pandan war was held at Ngusaba kapat (Sasih Sambah) or around June. The unique culture and tradition that was held in the Bale Agung courtyard was held for 2 days and began at 2 pm, the ritual or procession was aimed at honouring the God of War or Lord Indra who is the Highest deity for Hindus in Tenganan. This village has become one of the popular tourist destinations and tour destinations on the island of Bali.

3. Omed-Omedan tradition

This unique culture and tradition is held in the middle of Denpasar city, precisely in Banjar Kaja, Sesetan Village, South Denpasar. Held once a year, to coincide on the day of the Shoot Geni or the day after Nyepi, the unique tradition starts around 14:00 for 2 hours. This procession is only followed by young people or unmarried with a minimum age of 13 years, omed-omedan means an attraction between young men and women banjar residents and sometimes coupled with kissing scenes between the two. This tradition was held as a form of excitement after the implementation of Nyepi Day, this is an ancestral cultural heritage on the island of Bali, has a sacred value and is believed to experience bad things if this tradition is not carried out. This tradition became one of the tourist attractions that can be enjoyed while on tour on the Day of Shoot Geni.

4. The Mekotek Tradition

You can only find this Mekotek procession or ritual in Munggu village, Mengwi sub-district, Badung. Also known as the Mekotek Gerebeg, this unique tradition on the island of Bali is held once every 6 months (210 days), precisely during the Kuningan Day celebration (10 days after Galungan). The procession was held to reject Bala (mishap) to protect against disease and also to ask for safety. In the beginning, the Mekotek tradition, using an iron rod, to prevent participants from getting hurt, used a 2-3.5 meter Pulet wood whose skin was peeled so it looked smooth. The sticks were combined into a single cone formation, the sound of the "tek, tek" wood clashing became known as Mekotek. The unique culture and traditions of Badung Bali are still maintained until now.

5. Gebug Ende Seraya

This attraction is also known as the rattan war, in which two men face each other and attack each other with a 1.5-2 meter long rattan then the other hand holds a shield to fend off the opponent's attack, between the two bounded by a rattan rod (centre line) so do not enter the enemy's territory. This rattan war not only requires agility but also courage, because every participant could be hit by the opponent's rattan blows. This unique tradition in the village of Seraya, Karangasem - East Bali has become a culture passed down until now, the main purpose of the Gebug Ende procession is a traditional ritual to invoke rain, and this is done in the dry season, namely October - November each year. The geographical condition of the village of Seraya in the hilly region is indeed vulnerable to water problems, which is why this ritual of begging for rain takes place in this village. Seraya also has many tourist destinations that can be visited while touring on the island of Bali.