Melasti Ceremony in Bali
Melasti Ceremony is a Hindu religious ceremony to purify Bhuana Alit (small world) and Bhuana Agung (the universe). This ceremony is performed with a parade procession followed by thousand of Hindu people by bringing all the equipment ceremonies and the symbol of gods to the sea or other water sources that are believed by Hindus as a place to purify all the elements of this universe.
Before the Balinese Hindi people perform βNyepiββThe Silent Day, a Hindiβs sacred dayβ, there is a ritual of praying which have to be done that is called βMelastiβ or βMelisβ, a ceremony to clean up βpratimaββthe sacred property of the templeβat any nearest water fount, such as sea as well as lake. People of Balinese Hindi who live around beach usually perform the ceremony βMelastiβ with seawater whereas they who live around the mountain usually perform it by the lake water.
βMelastiβ was held at almost every beach in Bali such as Kuta, Jimbaran, Tanah Lot, also Nusa Dua, Batu Bolong in Canggu where as Denpasar people commonly perform it at Padanggalak Beach which located in Sanur Beach area.
Melasti is the annual washing of the temple implements before the biggest day of the year, Nyepi Day, which is tomorrow. Priests and banjars from every part of Bali have to wash their temple equipment in the sea as part of a ritual cleansing and Pura Petitenget is ideally placed to handle large crowds with easy access to the temple and the ocean.
Balinese temple ceremonies involve plenty of offerings made of flowers and other natural products. The Melasti ceremony left the beach covered in trampelled offerings and somewhat like a waste dump. Not to worry I guess if its all bio-degradable and the sea takes it out.
The ceremony was ended with a ritual of encircle the beach. As the age shifts and for some considerations, this ritual does not any longer applied as walking encircle through along the seaside. According to Agung from community of sub-village Kangin (Banjar Kangin) of Denpasarβone of the practitionerβthe beach encircling ritual, nowadays, symbolically appears by walking encircle the spot of the ceremony βMelastiβ only.
People of each βbanjarβ alternately walking carried each of their βpratimaβ for some circling. A flamboyant banners, magnificence flags, serenely traditional umbrellas, various antique package of offerings, and more sacred symbols of each of temple was lifted up above their head, momentary impressing a gush of majesty, splendour, and vigour of them those were celebrated βrespectedβ yet full of humilityβin a folksy way, solemn, andβonce againβalmost silent.

Melasti ceremony held once a year to coincide the welcome of Nyepi Day / Silent Day. Melasti procession is usually held four / three days before Nyepi / Silent Day. This is done because in accordance to the purpose of this ceremony where before Nyepi Day that all the elements at Bhuana Alit and Bhuana Agung should be clean and pure. This is very important because the feelings / heart clean and pure, we can implement Nyepi Day perfectly.
Every βbanjarβ that has done with the βencircling beachβ ritual continued their cavalcade toward their own temple to put their βpratimaβ back. As like as their arrival so does their homing, they went back to their temple by feet. Cavalcade of Balinese Hindus people within white nuance clothing carrying the sacred worship symbolsβpratimaβonce again enliven along the road of Sanur-Denpasar. Colourful of magnificence, majesty, and splendour of Bali wrapped by such a white nuance of purity move and march as if fence in the coast of Padanggalak Beach, Sanur Beach area, Badung District, Bali.
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