Balinese Life
When the Angel Comes Down,
and the Soul Departs

Some religious ceremonies in Bali are usually completed with sacred or wali dances. They are closely related to the procession of the ceremony. By its absence, it may be considered incomplete, as this dance constitutes a part of the ritual itself. And,
of course, they are always performed in sacred places like at temples and other areas where the ceremony takes place.

They are called sacred dances since they bring offerings or ingredients like canangsari in the Pendet dance, thread in Rejang Renteng or yellow rice in Sidakarya mask. In addition, all dancers must have been ‘purified’ through mewinten rites for adults otherwise they should be underage girls who are still virgins or unmarried. Perhaps, the last but not least, this dance is never performed for commercial purposes like public entertainment or a theme for a dinner party.
Dance is also a devotion to the Supreme Being. Balinese people (Hindu devotees) would be very glad when they dance for this purpose. They call it ngaturang ayah (literally means devotional service). The more so, if the dancers are children, this opportunity becomes a beneficial process of learning where they are introduced to one core of Balinese art that is useful for their future learning, especially in dancing.
Sacred dances are performed on temple festivals, human exorcism rites, Ngaben ceremony and so forth. On the temple festival, when the melasti procession has just been completed, all divine manifestation has been put to their thrones, the devotees usually prepare a rejang dance in the middle courtyard. A group of young girls, fewer than twelve, make their devotion through dances. They show off their rhythmical dance in front of the shrine complex in bright yellow and white colors costume. Their headdresses are made of fresh young coconut leaf decorated with flowers.
In Hindu mythology, or Usana Bali chronicle, this Rejang symbolizes the vidyadhari (female angels) who accompany the deities come down to earth to witness the ceremony. While the gandharvas (heavenly artists play various gamelan) to accompany the dance. This mythology is then believed to be the base of the sacred Rejang dance.
Another sacred dance is wayang lemah. It is a puppet shadow play that’s presented without a screen and lantern at noon. It uses a thread and perforated coin tied on two dadap (Erythrina subumbrans) twigs instead of a screen. This symbol makes a bridge between the visible and invisible world so the performance of the ritual will flourish. In the Ngaben ceremony, the Balinese usually perform a puppet shadow with special titles like Cupak’s Passage to Heaven or Bhima Svarga in which both recount the journey of both figures to heaven. It is expected that this could become a ‘travel companion’ for the soul to heaven since both stories carry much information on what to do and where to go.
(BTN/Wayan Punia)