teeth Cutting Ceremony in Bali, One of the Obligations of Parents to Their Children
.One of the religious ceremonies that have become a Balinese tradition to date is the tooth-cutting tradition.
Usually the Balinese call it metatah, mapandes, or masangih.
A person can only carry out this ceremony after puberty as a sign of someone growing up.
1. Obligations of parents to their children
The tooth-cutting ceremony in Bali is an obligation from parents to their children.
This relates to the appropriateness of parents to give good advice.
The goal is that the bad traits that exist in their children can be controlled.
2. Pregnant women don't cut their teeth
In Hindu belief, pregnant women are generally not allowed to perform the Metatah procession.
This is because of the people's belief that the fetus it contains is something sacred.
Meanwhile, when Metatah takes place, a person will be in a period of Cuntaka or unholy to be purified.
3. Cutting teeth costs a lot
Metatah ceremony requires no small amount of money because many offerings are needed.
Usually, this ceremony also invites relatives and extended family to attend a wedding celebration. Therefore, Balinese people work around this by doing Metatah in groups (mass).
Or it can also be combined with a series of other traditional ceremonies, such as Pawiwahan (marriage) or the Ngaben ceremony.
4. Special dress
In the beginning, Metatah people usually wore white cloth, yellow Kampuh, and a samara Ratih sash.
It is a symbol of the blessing of Dewa Semara and Dewi Ratih (based on the Semarandhana lontar).
Then, they will also wear Tridatu colored Pawitra threads (red, white, black).
It is a symbol of binding oneself to religious norms.
However, nowadays there are many fashion modifications when Metatah.
5. After cutting teeth must taste six flavors
After the teeth were filed, the Metataken were asked to taste six flavors with various meanings in them.
The bitter and sour taste is a symbol of being steadfast in the face of sometimes unpleasant life events.
The spicy taste is a symbol so as not to become angry when experiencing or hearing annoying things.
Sepat as a symbol to obey the rules or norms that apply.
Salty taste as a symbol of wisdom always improves the quality of knowledge because of self-learning.
Sweet taste is a symbol of a happy life inside and out according to ideals.
Pawiwahan Ceremony/Marriage in the style of Balinese Hindus
The diversity of customs and culture in Indonesia makes the wedding ceremony of each custom also diverse and unique. One of them is the wedding process according to Balinese customs which is beautiful and full of meaning at every stage.
Every traditional Balinese wedding process does not just form. The marriage process is guided by the rules of the Veda and Hindu laws that apply in society. By following these two rules, it is believed that the bride and groom will find happiness in the world (Jagaditha) and eternal happiness (Moksa).
In Balinese customs, marriage is generally divided into two systems, namely Madik or proposing and Meangkat or Ngerorod. The Madik system is carried out at the bride's house, while the Merangkat is carried out at the groom's house. These two systems can be chosen according to the agreement of the two families.
Both Medik and Meangkat consist of a series of fairly complicated ceremonies. In addition, it also requires a lot of equipment to be prepared. Even though it seems complicated, in every process there is a sacred meaning and purpose.
Reporting from the Wedding Market, here are 11 series of wedding ceremonies according to Balinese customs and their meaning and purpose.
1. Mesedek
Mesedek is the first event in Balinese wedding customs. In this event, the parents of the groom came to the bride's house to introduce themselves. Mesedek is also done to propose to women and want to be his life partner.
Mesedek is also done so that the parents of the bride-to-be know how firmly the groom wants to build a household and what his attitude is. The event is considered a success when the bride's parents agree.
2. Mature beautiful
The Madewasa Ayu event was held after the woman's parents agreed that their child would be asked to marry the man she loved. In this process, a good day and date (adult) are determined to hold the wedding.
Good timing is believed to be a way to get a marriage that is blessed, smooth, and without bad luck. A good date is usually determined by the groom based on the advice of a Sulinggih or someone who is considered to understand Nikabang maturity (a good wedding date).
3. Ngekeb
The Ngekeb ceremony is carried out by bathing and washing the hair of the bride with a special scrub. This special scrub is made from a mixture of peacock leaves, Ylang flowers, turmeric, and mashed rice. This scrub is also smeared all over the bride's body in the afternoon.
After that, the bride enters the bridal room which has been provided with offerings, and is not allowed to leave until the groom picks her up.
When the groom arrives at the bridal chamber, the woman must be covered with a thin yellow cloth from head to toe. This ngekeb ceremony means that the woman has buried her past deeply and is ready to live a new chapter of life with her future husband.
4. Ngungkab lawang
Ngungkab Lawang means opening the door. This ceremony is carried out by picking up women by men and meeting them for nine series of events including Pejati and Suci Alit, Peras Pengambean, Caru Ayam Brumbun Asoroh, Bayekawonan, Prayascita, Pangulapan, Segehan Panca Warna, Segehan Seliwang Atanding, and Segehan Agung.
Before performing the ninth series, the groom recites Vedic verses and replies with Vedic verses from the bride, and then throws betel leaves/betel leaves. This throwing is done to reject the evil forces that may come during the procession.
Ngungkab Lawang in Balinese wedding customs is a form of respect for the bride's family and a form of hope that they will become a harmonious married couple.
5. Medagang Dagangan
The next ceremony is trading, which in the Balinese language means trading. In this process, the bride and groom are asked to bargain about the merchandise until it reaches the payment stage.
The bride sits on the tier of coconut fibers and offers her wares to the groom. When the transaction is complete, the groom tore the impromptu Tikeh held by the bride with a kris. After that, the two of them took three fertility ingredients in the form of taro, carriage, and turmeric to be planted behind the Sanggah Kemulan.
The bride and groom then break the thread that is tied to the two branches of the Dapdap tree. Then take a shower to clean yourself. The implementation of this ceremony is a symbol of a request to Sang Hyang Widi so that his child when he grows up is given a marriage or profession according to his hand line.
6. Makala-Kala ceremony
The Makala-Kala ceremony or what can also be called the Bhuta Witness/Pertiwi Witness ceremony is carried out by the bride and groom by burning the t]Tetimpug on a brick stove and in a sitting position.
Tetimpug is three pieces of bamboo that have three or five segments tied together. This ceremony aims to build a fortress of protection to avoid the danger of Bhutakala which can interfere and eliminate the sanctity of the married life of the bride and groom.
7. Metegen-tegenan and sun-suunan
The next ceremony is metegen-tegenan and suun-suunan. Metegen-Tegenan is carried by the groom, while Suwun-Suunan is upheld by the bride. The two of them walked around the sacred fire called Sanggah Matahari clockwise seven times.
Men and women are tied with belts, with the men in the front and the women following behind. Both of them undergo the seven steps of Saptapadi, each of which contains a different marriage vow from the others while chanting a prayer.
This prayer is recited in Sanskrit by the groom and then translated into Indonesian by the bride. This ceremony is a symbol of the beginning of the journey of the two brides to navigate the ark of life together.
8. Majuman
Majauman is an official visit to the bride's house after all the ceremonies are completed. Based on its name, the word "Jaum" means needle which implies a needle's function to knit and reunite the two families after tensions occur.
This ceremony is carried out in the Ngerorod marriage system which usually occurs due to disapproval from the woman's family due to caste differences. Therefore, the bride is "run away" to the man's house and married.
Majauman also aims to inform Hyang Guru and ancestors about their marriage and ask for protection to avoid harm.
9. Natab Pawetonan
Natab Pawetonan is a ritual performed in the Mepadik marriage system. This ritual is carried out on the bed by giving gifts in the form of valuable items such as jewelry and clothes by the groom to the mother of the bride.
This valuable item is a symbol of "substitute breast milk". This symbolizes the hope that the mother's task in educating, raising, and protecting her child has been completed and transferred to the prospective husband.
10. Provisions (Tadtadan)
Provision (Tadtadan) is done by giving a set of jewelry or worship clothes from the mother to her daughter.
This ceremony symbolizes a hope that the child will always remember the services of his mother who had struggled in giving birth to him. Meanwhile, worship clothing is a symbol that the child is expected to continue to worship God Almighty.
11. Victorious
The table-Jaya ceremony is the last traditional Balinese wedding ceremony. This ceremony is carried out after the bride and groom have legally become husband and wife. This ceremony symbolizes the hope that they will always be given the ease and guidance of the Sanghyang Pramesti Guru.
After the Jaya-Jaya ceremony, the bride and groom are not allowed to go out/travel for three consecutive days and must stay at home to carry out their obligations as husband and wife. This rule is believed to increase the intimacy of the relationship between the bride and groom and so that the man can give a lot of advice to his wife. This is also a form of respect for the family from the woman's side in the hope that the family ties will continue to be closely intertwined.
The series of Balinese traditional wedding ceremonies have a deep meaning. By going through each procession, it is hoped that the couple's domestic life will last forever and be filled with happiness.