An Ancient Healing Ritual To Find Inner Peace

 

A purification ceremony in Bali is trending on TikTok. While some locals welcome the interest, others are concerned that their religion is becoming a wellness trend.

The 11th-Century Mengening Temple lies nestled at the bottom of the Pakerisan River valley near Ubud, Bali. Carpeted with moss, the Unesco Heritage site appears to blend into the natural surrounds. The only sound that can be heard within the grounds is the rushing of spring water as it spills out of the temple's ancient waterspouts into the deep pools below.

Very little has appeared to have changed here for centuries.

Except now, winding their way through the holy water pools are lines of sarong-clad Westerners who take it in turns to dutifully place their heads underneath the spouts of ice-cold holy water in an attempt to cleanse their mind, body and soul.

Balinese Hindus believe the Malukat ceremony (also spelt melukat), which involves prayers, a blessing by a priest and being doused with holy water, helps you find inner peace. And since the end of the pandemic, increasing numbers of Westerners have been flying to the tropical island of Bali to take part in this ancient purification ceremony.

TikTokers are helping to drive the interest in the Malukat ceremony with videos of travellers being bathed in ancient temples or under sacred waterfalls. The uptick has seen luxury hotels attempting to make the ceremony even more memorable for their guests by offering VIP entry to sacred fountains and organising for village priests to welcome wellness seekers into their homes. The Intercontinental Bali Jimbaran reported a 15-times increase in guests requesting a Malukat ceremony since the pandemic, and the newly opened Anantara Ubud includes a spiritual purification ceremony with a high priest in its wellness menu.  

There are various Malukat ceremonies and each one has a distinct purpose. It can help rid a person of misfortune, diminish illness, request prosperity in business and prepare newlyweds for marriage.

"Malukat originates from the Sanskrit word 'lukat', which means to be 'free from suffering'," says Marlowe Bandem, curator of the Saka Museum in Bali, which pays homage to Balinese culture. He explains that the cleansing ritual is held on auspicious days such as the full Moon, new Moon or an individual's Balinese birthday, which is based on the Balinese calendar and falls every 210 days.

- Author: Claire Turrell, BBC