This is the Procession of Traditional Balinese Marriage Held

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All traditional wedding parties in Indonesia have a series of processions that contain special meanings. On the Island of the Gods, where the Balinese tribe originated, a series of traditional marriages began by determining the good day — the process of agreeing on the wedding day of the bride and groom.

The second event that needs to be passed is 'ngekeb', which is the ritual of purifying the bride. In the procession that is usually held one day before this wedding, the bride and groom will be spread with a mixture of concoctions of peacock leaves, turmeric, 'cananga' flowers, and finely ground rice, then drenched with straw water. Prospective brides who undergo this ritual are not allowed to leave the room until the family day the prospective groom picks her up.

In Balinese customs, traditional marriages are not held at hotels in Bali, but rather at the residence of the men. Therefore, after the 'ngekeb' ritual ends, the bride will be picked up by the family of her future husband to be taken to the wedding venue. For the record, the bride will be wearing a thin yellow cloth from head to toe, which is a sign that she is ready to explore a new life with her future husband.

The next process is called Mungkah Lawang or Open Pintu. At this stage, the groom will come to his future wife's house with a messenger on duty to knock on the bride's door. This messenger will develop a poem about the presence of the prospective bridegroom to pick up the bride. When the poetry song is answered by the woman's messenger, the groom is invited to enter the bride's room and then carry her to the stretcher, which will move towards the man's residence.

Upon arrival at the groom's house, both of them will be welcomed in a ceremony called Mesegehagung. The ceremony began with the bride and groom removed from the stretcher and then taken to the bridal chamber. It was there that the yellow cloth covering the bride's body was opened by the groom's mother to be exchanged for 200 kepeng denominations.

Afterward, guided by Hindu priests, the procession of time began. This ceremony aims to purify the bride and groom. The stages passed by the bride and groom are as follows:

· Touching the feet at the same time

· Buy and sell

· Stab Tikeh Suddenly

· Sever the thread

When it has passed all that, the bride and groom will go through the Mewidhi Widana Ceremony held in the men's family temple and led directly by the protestors. At this stage, both offer prayers to the ancestors for the presence of new family members.

The last is the Ceremony of the Table of God, which is a ceremony for the bride to take leave of her ancestors. Because, after marriage, the bride will follow her husband. In this procession, he is accompanied by the groom and the groom's family with several offerings.