Balinese Hindus Perform Melasti
DENPASAR, BALI, March 29, 2014 (The Jakarta Post): Balinese Hindus marched to the beaches, major rivers, lakes and holy springs on Friday to perform Melasti, a ritual to cleanse temple paraphernalia and to recharge the supernatural power of the temple’s sacred objects, in preparation for Nyepi, the Hindu Day of Silence, which will falls on March 31.
Dressed in mostly white and yellow traditional attire, customary village members escorted the temple paraphernalia — colorful parasols and ceremonial weapons — as well as pratima (sacred effigies made of rare woods and precious gems) and object of worship, such as the lion-like barong and the terrifying-looking rangda masks, onto the shore.
All these sacred objects were neatly arranged facing the ocean and surrounded by their devotees sitting on the sand. Temple priests and community leaders then presented the offering to Baruna, Lord of the Ocean. Balinese Hindus believe that the ocean’s water has powerful, supernatural healing and protective properties. Ocean water can be used to neutralize negative energy while sand can be used to fortify houses from black magic attacks.
