Contexts - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 487

The child's first birthday , oton , occurs after 210 days - a Balinese year in the wuku cal-
endar. This is the first occasion that the child is allowed contact with the ground, and it may
be accompanied by a ritual hair-cutting ceremony. The next ceremony, maketus , takes place
when the child's milk teeth fall out. Sanghyang Panca Kumara, who has been protecting the
child since birth, is relieved of his duties, and the child is now guarded by the family ancest-
ors.
Tooth filing
The tooth-filing ritual , mapandes , which preferably takes place before marriage, is a huge
celebration with guests, music and lavish offerings. It is considered vital, and the elderly, and
even the dead, have been known to have their teeth filed if they have never had it done. The
aim is to remove coarse behaviour from the person and rid them of lust, greed, anger, drunk-
enness, confusion and jealousy, in order that they will lead a better life and be assured a more
favourable reincarnation. The upper canine teeth or fangs and the four teeth in between are
filed down.
Marriage
There are two marriage options. The most correct is mamadik , when the marriage is agreed
between the two sets of parents and a huge financial outlay for lavish ceremonies is involved.
Much more common is ngerorod or malaib - elopement. The man and woman run off and
spend the night together, not so secretly that nobody knows, but with sufficient subterfuge
that the girl's parents can pretend outrage. The following morning the couple are married in a
private ceremony. More elaborate rituals and a reception may be hosted later the same day by
the boy's parents. The girl's parents will not be invited as there is supposed to be bad feeling
between the two sides. However, three days later the two sets of parents meet at the ketipat
bantal ceremony and are reconciled.
Cremation
The ceremony that visitors to Bali are most likely to witness is cremation ( pengabenan or
palebonan ). The Balinese believe that the soul inhabits a temporary receptacle, the body, dur-
ing life on earth. After death, the body must be returned to the five elements of solid, liquid,
energy, radiance and ether to ready the soul for reincarnation.
Following death, the body is usually buried, sometimes for years, while the preparations
for the cremation are made. Poorer families often share in the cremation ceremonies of
wealthier families as costs are crippling. The entire extended family and banjar is involved in
preparations. Animals are slaughtered, holy water acquired and gamelan, dancers and puppet
shows organized. An animal-shaped, highly decorated sarcophagus is built to hold the body.
The cremation tower, representing the Balinese universe, supported by the turtle, Bedawang,
and the two naga , Basuki and Anantaboga, is also built, with tiers similar to the roofs on the
meru in temples. A bale at the base of the tiers houses an effigy of the dead person.