How to behave in a ceremony in Bali
Although the predominant religion in the more than 17,000 islands of Indonesia is Islam, in Bali 90% of its population is Hindu. However, the Balinese practice their own variant of this religion that includes animist and Buddhist beliefs and the worship of their own ancient traditions.
This is a mini guide so you can immerse yourself in the traditions of this land of gods. without losing composure.
HOW TO DRESS
You can not go in any way to visit a temple . There are some wardrobe rules that must be respected and that, like it or not, are mandatory if one does not want to end up being expelled from the premises by an enraged guard. The clothing of the faithful is more complex, but for travelers the matter is quite simple. It is enough to wear clothes that cover us a little - that is, no shorts or miniskirts -, and put on these clothes:
A religious ceremony on the island
Sarong: It is an elongated piece of cloth that covers from the waist to the feet and must be worn by both men and women. They can be rented, but it is better to buy one because you will have to wear it every time you visit a temple. In addition, then they are very practical: can be used as sarongs, to lie on the beach, to cover up at bedtime …there are all colors, patterns and possible prices, although for three euros to change you can find very decent sarongs. One piece of advice: do not resort to the alternative of wrapping a large towel around your waist in order to save a few coins; you will offend the staff.
selendang: It is a girdle or belt that is placed at the waist, above the sarong, and that you can find for less than one euro. They are usually yellow or white. And what do I wear if I am invited to participate in a ceremony? The clothing for the temple is called pakaian adat and consists of several pieces: The men wear a white shirt, a typical hat called udeng, a sarong and the saput, which is another cloth that is put on the sarong. The women wear sarong, selendang and a white lace blouse or some light color. Long hair must be tied back.
Bali: spirituality and mysticism
HOW NOT TO BEHAVE
There are minimum standards of education that apply to both visitors to temples and those who are going to participate in a ceremony. Here, ten tips to go unnoticed:
- If you are a woman, you should not enter a temple if you have menstruation or if you have given birth in the last six weeks. The Balinese still pay close attention to an ancient law that says there can be no blood on sacred ground.
- Do not enter areas of the temples restricted to non-Balinese.
- Do not sit on a higher level than the pemangku (priest) who leads the ceremony.
- Don't point the camera directly at the priest either. You can take pictures inside the temples, but be discreet and respectful: keep a reasonable distance from the faithful and do not use the flash.
- Do not walk in front of people praying; it's rude.
- Be careful with the offerings! They are small baskets made of banana leaves that contain rice, incense, cookies, candies, flowers... and are placed daily to honor the gods. They are everywhere: on the ground, on car dashboards, on store counters, at the entrances to houses, on tiny altars that are on many streets... and it is very easy to step on them without realizing it.
- Do not pat anyone's head, least of all children. The Balinese believe that this is the purest part of the body because it is in contact with the sky and they find it very offensive to do so.
- Uses right hand to eat or pick up objects . Using the left is rude because this is supposed to be the one you use to clean yourself when you go to the bathroom. -The Balinese point with an open and extended hand; don't use your index finger.
- Do not signal anything using your foot; It is also very rude.
*** You may also be interested in...**
- The day of silence in Bali - Bali: ten temples you must go to if you want to see a ceremony - Have breakfast in Bali
If you travel to Bali, it is convenient to know its temples and its rituals