Mekare-kare

The Mekare-kare ritual occurs once a year as part of the Sasih Sembah ceremony in the village of Teganan. The village has its calendar, so the exact date cannot be given in advance, but in the Gregorian calendar, it is usually in June. It is held in honor of the god of war, Dewa Indra.

Before the ritual, a ceremonial prayer is held for the safety of the participants, and then Tuak, palm wine, is drunk from banana leaves. The men are dressed in sarongs, Saput scarves, and Udeng headdresses. They have neither shirts nor T-shirts. The women wear their best traditional clothes and watch the fights, where tradition says they team up with the winning men.

It is a duel between two men on a 5x5 meter stage. Each has in his right hand a "mace" made of tied leaves of the pandanus (Pandanus amaryllifolius), which are naturally covered with thorns. In the left hand, each warrior holds a rattan shield. A referee stands between them. Once the fight begins, the fighters embrace each other and have the task of striking and scratching their opponent's back with the pandanus leaves. Other spectators loudly support them, and fast-paced Gamelan music is playing in the background. Each match lasts around one minute. After that, other fighters take turns in the "ring."

After the ritual, the warriors rub each other's scratched backs with a traditional herbal ointment of arrack and turmeric to aid in healing. There is a good mood among the participants, and no one is angry with anyone; they do it with joy and smiles as a tribute to the god of war. At the end of the ceremony, prayer and local dances are held in the local temple.

Mekare-kare usually lasts two days and starts on the first day around 14:00.

Other names: Perang Pandan, Mageret Pandan