Kecak: Sanghyang Dedari

Witness the graceful ceremonial dances and frenzied interlocking vocals in this performative version of the sanghyang and kecak, at the Balinese Temple Stage at the Esplanade Forecourt Garden.

An ancient ceremony to restore balance and bring peace

In the most holy ground of the temple, preparations are made for a visit from the goddesses – incense is burnt, the smoke is waved over a group of young girls. Aged 7 – 12, these girls have not reached puberty and are considered the personification of purity. The intense smoke invokes the spirits to enter their bodies; they become the embodiment of goddesses (dedari) and have temporary divine powers. The girls lose consciousness, dancing carelessly and acting playfully, performing dangerous acts such as walking through fire or climbing 4-metre-high bamboo poles fearlessly.

The Sanghyang Dedari ritual can be traced back to ancient times, it is performed to show gratitude to the gods and goddesses, repel illness; as a prayer for healthy crops and a successful harvest, for protection from rice pests among other problems.

Sanghyang Dedari is a social and communal event where people’s participation is the essence of the ritual. Individuals surrender their problems, and afterwards any social conflict or imbalance is cured by the presence and possession of the goddesses, even emotional instabilities are restored to neutral. At the end of the ceremony, the dancers are sprinkled with holy water by the priest; they are revived and regain their consciousness, having no recollection of the acts that they performed.

The ceremony is not accompanied by the usual gamelan, but by a group of adults chanting and singing (gending), alternating with a group of males clad in checkered cloth around their waist, who make the formation of a circle, standing or sitting while shouting ‘cak!’ in a rhythmic manner (kecak). The dancing and singing produces spiritual strength, and the intention to carry out the ceremony is granted by the gods.