Melasti

I post this article due to many friends ask about “Melasti”. They found this word when I uploaded some pictures in Facebook with photo album’s title Melasti.

Melasti is the first procession facing series celebration of Nyepi (one of Holy day for Hinduism in Bali and Indonesia). Melasti takes time few days before Nyepi and commonly takes place to beach, lake, and campuhan (confluence of rivers). Each village can have different schedule for the time and place. Most Hinduism in Bali particularly doesn’t want to lose this event. Taking part and participate in Melasti is very important thing for them. For villages/certain area that have long distance from beach used to use trucks, open cars, cars, motorcycles as mean of transportations. But some other still on foot no matter how far the distance. The purpose of this ritual is to purify the human soul and the earth after one year being disgrace by human. Water symbolic used to clean dirty things. When the big day Nyepi comes we are expected to be ready for the next ritual called “Catur Bratha Penyepian”. There are “Amati Geni” (don’t turn on electricity/light/etc), “Amati Karya” (don’t working), “Amati Lelungan” (don’t travelling), “Amati Lelanguan” (restrain secular desire, like fasting for 24 hours).

Hopefully this short article able to give you simple explanation about Melasti.

If any further question please send me an email.

warm regards,

Hady

Here are some pictures that show the ritual of Melasti. Pictures are copyrighted.