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Nama : Kadek Windu Sanjaya

No : 37

Kls : IX IPA 6

Tenganan Pegeringsingan village, Bali - Perang Pandan

As an ancient village, Tenganan Pegeringsingan is identical with religious

activities. Many temple festivals performed in this village that attract visitors to come.

The most famous one is "Mekare-kare" or "Perang Pandan". This is a ceremonial fight or

war using thorny pandanous leaves as the weapon. This festival usually takes place in

relation to the celebration of "Sasih Kelima" or the fifth Balinese month.

One of the conditions of participating in Mekare-kare is the participants must be

dressed up traditionally, no matter his age, young, old or even little boys. The stressing is

on the characteristics, nobody to lose or win.

This unique and sacred ritual is held once a year in the fifth month of Balinese

Calendar (around June or July) to celebrate the great ceremony of Ngusaba Sambah, a

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ceremony to preserve tradition and maintain the environment. This war dance is a test of

bravery and endurance for all the male members of Tenganan Pagringsingan village.

There are few rules that have to be observed by the fighters

1. It is forbidden to hit the opponent on the face.

2. It is forbidden to bring a knife or Kris into the arena.

3. It is forbidden to clinch the opponents.

4. All fighters have to be bare-chested.

Before the dance begins, both of the dancers make a promise (pasubaya) not to hit on the

face. Though there is no punishment for breaking these rule and promise, no Tenganan

man in his right mind dares to break this promise; losing reputation and social prestige

are the price for breaking these rules and promise.

The dance begins when the umbul-umbul find a suitable match for a fighter.

These two dancers standing in the middle of arena, there is no specific arena, just an open

inside a circle made by the rest of the fighters. The fight begins when one of the tukang

belas gives a signal. No time limit in this fight, the tukang belas will stop the fight when

they see a sign of anger in the combatant face. But no one gets tempered after completing

the attraction. Any scratch on the body of the dancer will be easily recovered by using

treatment of coconut oil with other traditional ingredient. This war dance is accompanied

by Selonding gameAfter the makare-karean (war dance) a magibung (eating

communally) ritual is held. All the dancers/fighters eat together in the wantilan (public

hall). This ritual is used to strengthen the unity and to wash away the hard feeling

produced by the fight.lan (a sacred Bali Aga ensemble).