Trance ceremony at Baksabali

walking up to the temple ; notice the young girls in temple ceremonial costume
We drove about an hour northeast of Ubud.  The Roda family  organized this expedition.  This trance ceremony is quite famous throughout Bali and people come from all over the island to witness it.  It is always held at the culmination of Galungan, the holiday is Kuningan,(the ancestors are told to go back to the spirit world).

throngs of Balinese congregate

from all over the island, people come to witness this
It was in stifling heat, nary a breeze to be found.  I had spent the morning praying in the temple but had gone home to rest for two hours prior to leaving because I still had "Bali Belly".
I was not going to miss this. (I had actually stayed home from a party the night before due to illness). 

procession happening outside of temple
I was crammed into a pavilion I could barely breathe

,

offerings being carried into temple
there were thousands of people all trying to crane their necks to understand what they were seeing.  I could not see everything but after offerings and prayers,

note the headdresses..... the perfume from the flowers is Heady!

young girls in ceremonial costume

young boys and men carry these
that went on for about an hour , there were groups of young boys and men (about a dozen per bamboo "ladder
with offering " attached.   They all held onto this and there were about 6-8 groups.  They encircled the area outside the temple,  faster and faster and faster and then would Collide:  like Bumper Cars!  They would pile on top of one another,  then extract themselves and do this over and over.  This lasted for over 2 hours.  Some of the young men exhibited head rolling and closed eyes, but most were just trying to survive the speed and hold on and not get trampled.  The frenetic electricity was quite palpable in the air.  It reminded me of a Grateful Dead concert circa 1971. 

the black and white fabrics are always on temple statue, referencing light and dark= balance
 It was hard to discern.  I have seen  whirling dervishes in Turkey, central America potion drinking "trips", the "black hat " dance in Bhutan, Sufis in Afghanistan and NYC,
seen the African dancing, with the strong beats and repetitive head bouncing......all very authentic and
all these individuals went Somewhere.  
These Balinese kids were transported by the experience (group), and were "supported" by the "ladder"  ......it all looked very differently than what I've seen before.  A few were carried into the entrance of the temple.  But for me, this is where it really began in earnest.

I

inside of temple
We all move into the temple

man dancing with Kris

This man had been dancing in the courtyard the entire time, alone and devising his own theatrical ritual.    He holds his "Kris" a very deadly curved/wavy and serrated knife.  Balinese warrior knife.

notice the direction in which he points his kris    

  He is inside the temple , and begins an elaborate dance m called the colounargan where he begins to be at "war" with himself, "stabbing" himself (the knife is not real, but plastic) Faster and faster , on point with one leg extended outward  on his knee. Broad gestures , faster and faster.

studied dance of the warrior

He is a warrior.  All this time a priest is blessing him with holy water; spraying it on him with palm fronds

he moves up and down the temple corrider

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and he is surrounded by supporters

Other men surround him and support him as it becomes clear that he is succumbing into trance......and

He is held up to the audience so they can see his non-responsiveness 

   

 

travelin' woman  
He falls.  The priest keeps showering him with holy water.
He is not of this world.  I asked for an explanation.  I was told by Rudy (one of the Roda brothers) that he may "see" some black magic/evil things that are in the village and will try and disperse them.
Otherwise, since the beginning of time, we have been trying to go deeper into the mystery.