A few days before Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, villages across the island empty onto the roads. Thousands of people dressed in white walk in long processions to the sea, to a lake or to a sacred spring, carrying the treasures of their temples with them. This is Melasti, the great purification ceremony that prepares the island and its people for the new year.
At the heart of each procession are the pratima and pralingga, sacred objects in which the gods are believed to reside during ceremonies. They are carried in ornate palanquins, shaded by tiered ceremonial umbrellas and accompanied by banners, gamelan music and women balancing towering offerings on their heads. At the water's edge, priests bless the objects and the community with holy water and prayer, washing away impurity from the world and from each person.
The water itself is the reason for the journey. In Balinese Hinduism the sea is the source of tirta amerta, the water of life, and the place where all impurity is dissolved. After the rites, the sacred objects return to the village temple, where they stay until the ogoh-ogoh parades and the silence of Nyepi follow. For visitors, a Melasti procession on the beach is one of the most moving sights of the Balinese year.
Главное
- Thousands of worshippers in white walking to the sea
- Temple treasures carried under ceremonial umbrellas
- Prayers and holy water blessings at the shoreline
- Gamelan music and towering offerings
Полезно знать
- Each village holds its own Melasti, so dates vary; ask locally or at your hotel.
- Expect road closures and slow traffic near beaches on Melasti days.
- Keep a respectful distance and never block the path or stand above the priests.
Bali: Culture, Tradition & Religion
Дары, церемонии, храмы и верования: 100 коротких глав о том, чем балийская культура не похожа ни на какую другую.