Every traveler who is looking for an interesting tourist attraction to visit will definitely choose Bali. One of the Indonesian islands has a beauty and uniqueness that is rarely found. So it is not surprising that many tourists fill Bali Island because there are many popular and must-visit tourist attractions in Bali.
There is one place that is not affected by today’s development and modernization. Every visitor who wants to see the original Balinese culture can visit the traditional village of Tenganan.
Tenganan Customary Unit and Preserved
Tenganan Village is a traditional village in Bali which has become one of the favorite tourist attractions for foreign tourists. In addition, Tenganan Village is one of three villages that fall into the Bali Aga category. Among them are Trunyan Village and Sembilan Village.
Bali Aga village itself means a village on the island of Bali whose lifestyle is still based on the rules and customs of ancestral heritage before the Majapahit kingdom. In general, villages that fall into the Bali Aga category have houses and temples that are very strict in maintaining customs. Characteristic of Bali Aga villagers’ houses are made of a mixture of red stone, river stone, soil and have relatively the same size. This is indeed the main attraction of this village.
In addition to the buildings, the attraction of Tenganan Village lies in the professions and activities carried out by its residents. The livelihoods of Tenganan villagers are generally farmers and craftsmen. The typical crafts of the villagers are bamboo weaving, carving, painting on palm leaves and weaving fabrics.
Crafts of Tenganan Village
The typical woven fabric craft of Tenganan Village which is one of the attractions of this village is Gringsing Fabric. Therefore, this traditional village is also called the Pegringsingan village of Bali.
From the past, the villagers are famous for their expertise in weaving Gringsing cloth. Gringsing cloth is made using the double ikat technique. This technique is the only one in Indonesia, so the Gringsing cloth produced by the local community is very famous throughout the world.
Traditions and Customs of Tenganan Villagers
Another thing that makes Tenganan Village unique is its original tradition. Who would have thought that this tradition would be the main attraction of Tenganan Village? The Mekare-kare/Mageret Pandan (pandan war) tradition is held every year between June and July. It is a ritual of a pair of village youths, using thorns from pandanus leaves and slashing at each other on stage. The result of the pandan leaves being slashed will cause a wound on the back of the village youth.
After the pandanus war, the wound will be treated with antiseptic traditional medicine from tubers. The wound will dry out and heal in a few days. This tradition is done to train the villagers mentally and physically. During the pandan war event in mid-July, you will see many photographers covering the event.
Mekare-kare is the culmination of the Tenganan Pengringsingan village ceremony. Local villagers call this village ceremony Usaba Sambah. The Usaba Sambah ceremony has a month-long duration and is usually held 2 to 4 times.
Location
This traditional village is located in Manggis District, Karangasem Regency in the eastern part of Bali.
