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Calming 'wild' forces of nature
In the ring: The men cluster around the roosters as they fight, preventing the birds from escaping
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In the ring: The men cluster around the roosters as they fight, preventing the birds from escaping.
Cockfighting is an important element of Balinese caru rituals, which are sacrificial rites held prior to any major religious festival.
The rituals ' which aim at calming various 'wild' forces of nature, including wandering spirits and demons that might disturb upcoming festivals ' typically involve offerings of food, cakes and alcoholic beverages of which spirits are fond.
There's also a brutal form of entertainment. Known as the tabuh rah (pouring blood), the event involves placing roosters in a tiny arena with blades tied to their feet and then goading the birds into fighting.
Tabuh rah has since evolved into a favorite pastime of Balinese men.
People at the Hyang Api Temple in Klusa village near Ubud twice a year perform a sacred Aci Keburan ritual, which involves 35 days of mass cockfights.
The ritual starts on Kuningan, 10 days after the Balinese Hindu day of Galungan, when dharma (virtue) triumphs over adharma (vice).
Early on one recent misty Sunday morning, hundreds of men in traditional Balinese dress had already assembled in the temple's courtyard. The men shouted 'gasal gasal gasal', meaning 'bet bet bet', as more roosters arrived, their bamboo cages borne on motorbikes.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, dozens of roosters were already fighting, as the men formed a circle around the birds to block their escape.
Other rooster owners were looking to match their fowl with other birds for the next bout, discussing the merits of their birds and exchanging them for inspections.
When a partner is found, the roosters have spurs mounted to their legs and the conflict begins.
Balinese Hindus believe that the losing bird's spilt blood is offered to the spirits to protect their livestock and pets from suffering lethal outbreaks of diseases.
While the roosters fight in the courtyard, others inside the temple pray as a form of gratitude to their ancestors.
' Words and images by JP/Agung Parameswara
