travelinwoman: Jantuk's family temple ceremony

that's smoke from all the incense, another enhancing feature of the atmosphere that creates the beguiling nature of all the upacara in Bali. One of the many priests attending.

The reason i had to cut short my trip to Laos was due to the important ceremony that Jantuk and his family were having:

chopping the meat

making sate

a rebuilding and therefore purification and blessing ceremony of his new family temple. i had promised that i would attend as this is a Huge honor as well as expense for a family. (remember Balinese can spend upward of 80% of their income on offerings/ceremonies etc)

preparations have been going on for 2 months prior.

With great anticipation I arrived for the very happy ad exciting event.
Held in Bunutan, the small village outside of Ubud , I was familiar with people and of course I had attended many practices/performances with the gamelan led by Dedik.

Dedik leading the gamelan

the wondrous sounds of the gamelan

the flute is played so unusually; they "gulp" the air

the wayang -kulit (shadow puppeteer)

little Nyoman (Jantuk's nephew) is captivated

let the ceremony begin

the priest in one of his many manifestations

another priest in incanting

Jantuk is praying (Ayu is absent because she is menstruating and women are not allowed to enter the temple)

One of the many new shrines

Just the beginning of the offerings

Many animals are sacrificed......... (which is difficult for me) Jantuk lovingly tells me they will be reincarnated

stories are told

there is Putu (Jantuk's eldest ) with cousin Nyoman

Jantuk making offerings

Ibu (Jantuk's mother) looking beautiful ready to make blessings

cebang- offerings/ this is my level of contribution.... i help making these because any imbecile can do this (as opposed to making the intricate bamboo cutouts and foldings) I am all thumbs, of course if i had started at 2 or 3 as little Ayu had.....

lighting incense....they go through pounds of incense here every day

the arcane rituals of blessings.......i never can figure out Exactly where the next one goes, except for all the directions

Ayu (wife of Jantuk) who has been preparing the food for Months....... she worked so hard .... there were hundreds to feed

now they bury some offerings all around the temple

Auntie as well as Wayan (eldest cousin)

burying the offerings outside of the family compound

little Kadek (Jantuk's youngest)

And then the rain came....monsoon style.... which really confirmed the purification....we all huddled under the thatch roofs ....as the water rose up...... holding up our legs...
Dedik was teaching a group of high schoolers from NY- the Ross School for 2 weeks.... they were having the time of their lives....enjoying the unique culture that is Balinese.