Bali is an interesting place, where there is a lot of cultural richness within the local Balinese community. Balinese culture is widely packed as a cultural attraction that is very popular by the wider community.
People from abroad come to Bali too just to enjoy and learn about the series of traditional ceremonies owned by the people of Bali.
So no wonder if so one of the goals they come to Bali is because of a unique custom ceremony, where they can witness themselves directly even there to be involved in it. One tradition that we will discuss is melasti ceremony.
Melasti (or Makiyis; Melis) is a purification performed at the seashore, lake or at source / spring before the meaningful Nyepi celebration to purify oneself by birth and inward.
The purpose of this ceremony is to purify themselves. In Melasti ceremony according to Lontar Sundarigama and Sang Hyang Aji Swamandala there are four things ordered in the Melasti ceremony.
First to remind the people to continue to increase their devotion to God (ngiring parwatek dewata).
The second increase of devotion is to build awareness to actively carry out the alleviation of the suffering of common life in society (anganyutaken laraning universe).
Third to build a life attitude that is concerned with the suffering of living together must make efforts to strengthen themselves by cleansing the spiritual impurity itself (anganyut aken papa klesa). Fourth together to preserve this nature (anganyut aken bhuwana eruption).
By doing these four things then people are entitled to get the sari-sari life on this earth (amet sarining amerta ring telenging segara).
If the existence of the weather regularly in accordance with the law of Rta then the sea will always proceed to create cloudy. It is from the clouds that it will rain. The rain that came down when greeted in the face of this earth by the motherland with adequate forest then the need for water for various purposes of life will always be regular existence. In Bhagawad Gita III.14 it is stated that the rainfall is Yadnya nature to all the inhabitants of this earth.
Melasti or melelasti ceremonies can be defined as nganyudang malaning gumi ngamet tirta amerta, which means washing away the natural waste using the water of life. In Hindu beliefs, water sources such as lakes and seas are regarded as the origin of tirta amerta or living water.
These water sources provide life for all living beings, including mankind. For this reason, melasti ceremonies are always held in special places like the beach or lakeside.
In this ceremony, people will come in groups to water sources such as lakes and the sea. Each group or entourage comes from one unity of the same region, such as from the same banjar or village.
Each group will come with the sacred instruments of worship, the statues, pratima, and pralingga of the temple in their respective areas to be purified. Each member of the community also prepares offerings according to their respective abilities. This dish is part of complement melasti ceremony.
Before the ritual, usually the committee of each group (banjar or desa) will provide a table or stage positioned back to the sea or lake. This table is a place to put various sacred worship devices from the temple along with various types of offerings.
All members of the group then sat cross-legged facing towards the ranks of the worship and the offerings, while overlooking the source of holy water. The local priest (priest) will then lead the ceremonial procession.
Stakeholders round and sprinkle holy water to all members of the community present as well as the instruments of worship and spreading incense smoke as a form of purification.
Furthermore, performed ritual prayer (panca sembah) by all members of the group. Pastors will then share holy and bija water (rice that has been dampened with holy water). The holy water to drink while bija will be affixed to the forehead of every people who come. After the procession, the instruments of worship were paraded back to the temple to undergo several other ritual stages.
In order to maintain order in the implementation of the melasti ceremony, the row of pecalang (customary police) arranges different implementation times for each region (banjar). This is done so that each region can perform the ritual with solemn and optimal.
Therefore, during the fourth day until the second day before Nyepi, all over Bali will be seen a group of people with prayer clothes that come and go to the beach or lake.
On the other hand, the maintenance of this annual ritual order will be an unforgettable moment for tourists who have the opportunity to witness it.