Contents:

Bali Travel Guidebook:
Royal Odalan & Tooth Filing Ceremony (Mepandes)

Introduction
Background on Bali
Activities & Tours
Language
Climate & Clothing
Money
Shopping
Health
Balinese Culture
   Naming System
   Religion
   Temples
   Ceremonies for        Children
   Wedding &
       Tooth Filing
   Royal Odalan &
       Tooth Filing
   Purification
       Ceremony
   Cremation
   Royal Cremation
   Special Days

From the beginning of July 2002 Krishna's ancestral home in Ubud - Puri Saren Kangin - was a hive of activity in preparation for the family temple's Odalan (anniversary ceremony), held every 210 days on the Balinese Calendar. This was to be much bigger than a normal Odalan, as the whole of the Merajan (family temple) had recently been rebuilt. To prepare for the Odalan, the family and helpers from the Puri were busy for weeks before the ceremony, while the five main banjar (local councils) of the Ubud area were also called in to give their assistance during the week leading up to the ceremony.

The beginning of the Odalan, which was to run over six days, was on July 15th, where a large mecaru (cleansing ceremony) was held throughout the Puri grounds. While many of the extended family of the Puri came to witness this event, several gamelan orchestras from the Ubud area were there to play, to add to the festive atmosphere of the occasion. After a short cockfight for the ritual spilling of blood for the mecaru, the extended family of the Puri all gathered in the central pavilion for a communal prayer. A topeng (mask) dancer roamed the courtyards of the Puri as family members then took part in another ceremony, the melaspas, which was held to bring to life the new structures that had been erected in the Merajan grounds. Two pedanda (high priests) were invited to the Puri to officiate at these ceremonies.

The following evening saw a different kind of mecaru being held, this time as a cleansing for all the effigies of the ancestors which were to be stored in the Merajan, and are brought down from their various altars during an Odalan to be a part of the ceremony. A symbolic meal was prepared in this mecaru, the essence given to any lower spirits as an appeasement so that they would not interfere with the smooth running of the Odalan.

Well into the night we could hear the chanting of the ancient Hindu stories sung in the Sanskrit language from the old lontar books, while a companion followed up with its translation in High Balinese language. Many of the extended family and friends stayed well into the wee hours on this and following nights throughout the Odalan, talking together, helping with preparations for the next day, or entertaining themselves with a few games of ceki, a local card game very popular on ceremonial occasions.

On our arrival back at the Puri, we found a hive of activity as people from other Puri that had family allegiances with Puri Saren Kangin were bringing sesajen, the towering offerings to add to the blessings of the occasion. Our neighbour and maker of the daily offerings for KLUB KOKOS, Gusti Biang, was also there bringing offerings from the Merajan of one of Krishna's uncles.

By late that morning everything was ready for the return of the two pedanda to lead the family in the complex rituals involved in such a large Odalan. As many of the extended family again returned to the Puri to join members of Krishna's family in prayer, visitors to the Puri were entertained by a couple of topeng performers who put on a kind of 'street theatre' performance for the crowd. As well as a number of gamelan orchestras playing in different parts of the Puri grounds, a dalang (puppeteer) also enacted stories of the Hindu epics with the wayang (shadow puppets).

Once the major part of the Odalan was completed and the family of Puri Saren Kangin had made special prayers in the Merajan, several older members of the Puri family wanted to add their blessings to the ceremony by performing an impromptu traditional style of Balinese dance just outside the Merajan walls.

Later that afternoon the family then continued on to the Merajan Alit (family temple in the central wing of the Puri, as well as the Merajan Agung (main family temple for the whole of the Puri family of Ubud) for further prayers together.

Then in the evening it was time to begin the elaborate rituals involved in a Mepandes (tooth filing) ceremony for people of high caste. For three days leading up to the Mepandes our daughter Kristi had been staying in the Puri along with the four others involved in the ceremony.

Firstly another mecaru was carried out to purify the gedong, the special bedroom in the Puri grounds used for ceremonial occasions such as this. Then the five youth involved in the tooth filing went before the pedanda for his blessing and a small ceremony involving the snipping of a little hair from the heads of each of those who would be a part of the Mepandes the next day. This hair was stored inside a small pouch made from a young coconut frond, to be buried at a later date in the Merajan along with the young coconut used during the tooth filing.

As more and more people began to gather at the Puri, rolls of white cloth were unraveled on the ground, leading from the entrance of the gedong, where those to have their teeth filed were dressing, through the central pavilion of the Puri, up the steps to the balé gedé, and through to the family Merajan. This would form the pathway of the group once they emerged from the gedong for the ceremony.

Balinese people carry out a tooth filing or Mepandes (called Masangih for lower castes) ceremony to rid themselves of their Sad Ripu (six weaknesses of the flesh), namely, Lust, Greed, Anger, Drunkenness, Confusion & Jealousy. Once they have been able to have this ceremony performed it is hoped that they may be better able to lead a healthy, well-adjusted life as a valuable member of their close-knit community. Uneven teeth (longer canines) is believed to be a sign of being like an animal - they believe that animals are the lowest of God's creations - and so even if they have not been able to afford a tooth filing ceremony at some stage during their adult life, they will have them filed after death before their cremation.

While another mecaru was conducted by a pemangku at the foot of the steps leading up to the balé gedé, the five nervous youth in the gedong were being dressed by various older members of the Puri for this important step in their lives. While Kristi was decked out in layer upon layer of tightly wrapped cloth, the boys were also dressed in ceremonial sarongs and jackets, with the addition of a kris (ceremonial sword) fitted into the back of their costume.

When all was in readiness they were lead down to the foot of the stairs of the gedong for a ngayab (purification) ceremony, before heading along the white cloth path to the Merajan for prayers and special rituals carried out by the pedanda on each of them using his sacred ring.

Every step of the way our daughter Kristi was accompanied by her older sister Sari, who had already gone through the tooth filing ceremony nearly two years ago during the Maligia ceremony, as well as other older members of the family, who saw to it that she was directed correctly as to what to do at each point.

During the tooth filing various members of the family stood close to her to give her moral strength. Krishna stood at her foot to give her the small sweet honey and turmeric mixture to drink at the end of the filing, which is used to rinse the mouth of the file chips, to be spat into the shell of the young coconut that had been prepared. She then bit on a roll of leaves of the betel nut, which was also then placed into the coconut. After further prayers Kristi was then escorted back to the gedong to join her friends and compare notes on their ordeal.

After an hour's rest from being so much in the limelight of activities, the group then began to be prepared with the hiasan agung (grand ceremonial dress for those of high caste) for the late afternoon and evening's part of the ceremony. This was the time when those other than the extended family of the Puri in Ubud were invited to attend as well. Because of Krishna's family's prominent place in the community here, especially as his cousin is currently the Bupati of the Gianyar region, the highest governmental position for this area, and had two of his son's a part of the tooth filing, well over a thousand people from other parts of Bali were expected to attend. We welcomed guests staying at KLUB KOKOS at the time to attend as well, fitting them out with the traditional Balinese costume to attend.

After the crowd of invitees had been entertained by another couple of comic topeng performers, and when all was in readiness for the pedanda, the group was then escorted out of the gedong and back to the balé gedé for their final blessing from the pedanda, before receiving congratulations from the invited guests.

For the following three days after the Mepandes ceremony those involved were supposed to remain within the Puri compound, but not enter the kitchen area or eat pork at all during that time. Prayers were held for the group each day in the late afternoon, while the Odalan for the Merajan was completed with the closing ceremony on July 20th.

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Thispage was last updated on August 4, 2002