Melasti in Kuta Bali

While sitting at a street side table in Made’s Warung, I noticed the pecalang clearing the street of motorbikes, obviously a procession of some kind was on its way. Looking over my shoulder I every bike was on the sidewalk, except mine! Oh no, please don’t take my bike away Mr Pecalang man. The occasion was Melasti, the pre-game show for Nyepi. In the morning many people from Denpasar had made the trek to Kuta Beach to carry out their ceremonies and in the afternoon it was people from the Kuta, Legian, Seminyak area.

For an hour we saw procession after procession, of Balinese people with tall umbrellas, burning incense, offering and other items of significance. I especially like the kids, who are getting used to the customs and ceremonies, in preparation for a long life of religious observance and some day being the orchestrator’s of events like this.

Melasti is significant because the religious objects used in temples are taken to springs and the ocean for ritual purification, Nyepi being an island-wide purification. Tonight will be a great time to be around Kuta Beach as thousands of Balinese people will be there in traditional dress, really a unique atmosphere. (This file is 4mgs if you are wondering).