Bali Travel Info

One of Rites of passage rituals “Oton Menek Kelih”on the Island of Bali

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Photo by Ekarini

I hope you enjoy Bali as much as I do. Bali island is not only about beautiful beaches, natural landscapes, temples, spectacular hotels and SPAs, and please don’t forget, Bali has so many ceremonies and Rites of passage rituals. Here I will take you to look at closely of Balinese Rites of passage called “Oton Menek Kelih.”

“Menek Kelih” is a Balinese ceremony for Balinese boys and girls. This ceremony symbolized the transition from a little kid to a mature person. With this ceremony, we hope that our children will be ready for all things in their lives, as they grow more mature. Before the ceremony begins, the boys and the girls have to wear Balinese traditional outfits and other accessories.

“Menek Kelih” Balinese B-Day celebration is: Manggah Daa and Mango Tirana. Puberty, the first menstruation of a girl or by the deepening of the voice of a boy and the obvious development of the genitals, is the occasion of the mango daa (virgin girl) or teruna (virgin boy) ceremony. It is also sometimes called Ngaraja Swala or Menek Kelih for boys. The ceremony most often given only for the girls of the family, since changes in their physical and biological status are more pronounced than those of boys. This may be a very elaborate ceremony, with all the trimmings, in the case of a wealthy or high caste people.

The ritual emphasis here is two-fold. One involves what is sometimes thought of as “marriage” with Sang Hyang Semara Ratih is also the bisexual symbol of sexual union. Semara – Ratih is also the symbol of beauty and is able to guarantee success in all ventures, cure sickness, and chase away evil. The second emphasis is upon attaining skill in the household chores that every girl must master. And the girl may go through the motions of these actions with real props. Along with the sexual features of the ceremony go prayers that the girl will be of high moral standards and will raise her family in such a way that they will be righteous and pure.

The most important part of this ceremony is for the person to present the offerings called biakala and prayascita, which is to ward off evil spirits and purify the body, then to pray in the kitchen, and finally to “natab” the offering of a type called sayut. This is an offering made to the deified ancestors and is for the purpose of asking their blessings, to pray for happiness and success, and to ward off evil. In the case of a girl the offering is called sayut sabuh rah, “spattering of blood,” and in the case of a boy sayut ngeraja sangha, “lion king.” And finally, there must be a ceremony of the bed… which includes some obvious sexual symbolism.