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span class="inline inline-left">Soul protection: With their heads covered with white cloth inscribed with sacred letters, the participants of Sapuh Leger received absolution.The compound courtyard of the island’s largest clan-based organization, Maha Gotra Pasek Sanak Sapta Rsi (MGPSSR), in north Denpasar’s village of Kedua, was packed with hundreds of people one Saturday morning.

It was organizing the Sapuh Leger, a purification ritual reserved for those born on inauspicious days. Five-hundred-and-forty-five individuals were participating in the ritual and each of them brought two to five family members to witness the rite, taking the crowd to around 2,000 people.

In the center of the courtyard, two high priests sat on an elevated stage filled with ritual paraphernalia. Rows of wayang kulit — two dimensional, flat puppets made of carved cow leather — were arranged horizontally across the front of the stage.

Unlike the traditional wayang kulit show where a white screen separates wayang kulit from the audience, there was no screen, giving the audience full view of the beauty and intricate details of each wayang kulit character.

The screen was replaced by a string of white threads tied on two dapdap sticks that flanked the wayang characters. Dapdap is known in Bali as kayu sakti, a plant with a potent supernatural power.

Wayang kulit is the central and unique element of the Sapuh Leger purification ritual.

“This special ritual is based on several scriptures that detailed the supernatural powers of wayang kulit and the ability of the Dalang [puppeteer] to carry out exorcism and healing,” MGPSSR executive Pasek Winastera said.

The scriptures narrated the story of Kala, the destructive son of Siwa. Siwa gives Kala the right to devour every creature borne on Wuku Wayang. Wuku is the seven day unit on the Balinese calendar.

There are 30 different Wuku that form a cycle of 210 days. Almost all Balinese Hinduism major religious rituals, including Galungan and Kuningan, are held once every 210 days.

“Once Kala chased Pancakumara, a little boy who was born on Wuku Wayang. The boy took refuge behind the back of Mpu Leger, a Dalang who was about to start a wayang kulit show. The ensuing performance deeply touched Kala that he abandoned his pursuit,” Pasek Winastera added.

The Balinese believe that those born on Wuku Wayang will be haunted by many misfortunes. The Sapuh Leger ritual is an effort to ward them off.

One of the participants was Made Bawa aka Lolot, a famous local celebrity known for combining critical lyrics in Balinese language with gripping hard rock melodies.

Holy ritual: A Hindu high priest dipps a wayang kulit in holy water while chanting a sacred mantra. Wayang kulit is the central element of Sapuh Leger ritual.“I was born on Wuku Wayang and I believe this ritual can make my life more stable and prevent bad luck,” he said.

MGPSSR temple priest Jro Mangku Putu Mas Sujana explained the ritual helped pacify the participants’ psychological conflicts and imbalances.

“Those born on Wuku Wayang who have experienced the loss of their siblings are more likely to have psychological and emotional problems,” he said, referring to Sanan Empeg.

Sanan Empeg, literally means “fragile carry-sticks”, and is a term for an individual who has experienced multiple personal losses.

The participants belonging to this group underwent an additional ritual prior to the commencement of Sapuh Leger.

The ritual included a silent procession, in which they carried a carry-stick on their shoulders.

The Sapuh Leger started with a ritualistic walk, in which the participants walked clockwise encircling the ritual arena three times. The temple priests then lit incense on five clay bowls.

The participant walked through the thick curtain of smoke produced by the bowls in a symbolic gesture of purification by fire.

The priests then sprinkled holy water and covered the participants’ heads with a cloth written with sacred letters.

“It is an absolution by water. The holy water used in this ritual was collected from nine sacred springs across the island,” Sujana said.

The climax of the ritual took place in front of the elevated stage. The participants prayed before the high priests and rows of sanctified wayang kulit.

Purification: A little boy receives an absolution. The holy water used in the ritual was collected from nine sacred springs across the island.The high priests then uttered a series of sacred mantras as they re-enacted the role of Mpu Leger in pacifying the wrathful Kalat.

“The purification by fire, absolution by water and the chant of sacred mantras symbolize the graces and powers of Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa, respectively.

Sapuh Leger is the ritual in which a devotee beseeches Tri Murti, the ultimate divine trinity in Balinese Hinduism, to purify the heart and cleanse the body,” Pasek Winastera said.

A joyful atmosphere filled the air as the ritual reached its end. The participants gathered with their families and feasted on fruit and cakes from offerings that had been blessed by the divine.

They believed that their life had been renewed and a period of continuous good luck awaited them in the future.