MAKARE KARE FESTIVAL

Experience the Mekare-Kare ceremony, also known as Perang Pandan, in Tenganan village, Bali. This annual festival in June honors Indra, the god of war, and village ancestors. Witness the unique Pandanus war, where men engage in joyful combat. Held during Sasih Kalima, part of the Sasih Sembah ceremony, it's a rare opportunity to immerse in Balinese culture and tradition.

A ceremony indigenous for Tenganan village in Bali is Mekare-Kare which is famously known as Perang Pandan. It is an offering ceremony that is for paying tribute to Indra or god of war and the ancestors of the village. Experience this annual festival which is held in June with our Bali tour package from India. The Tenganan village belongs to one of the old villages of Bali which is called Bali Aga village and it is surrounded by hills and boasts its sturdy structure that resembles the shape of a fortress with only four entries.

The peculiarity of this village is that it has written rules called a wig-a wig and the natives believe Indra is the god of all gods. The story of the festival starts from the ages of gods. It is believed to be the commemoration day of Indra’s war with Maya Denawa.

Highlights: The festival will last for 2 days and happens only during Sasih Kalima that falls on the fifth month of the calendar of Bali and it is conducted as a part of the famous ceremony called Sasih Sembah, the largest religious fest in the village. It happens in the middle of the village hall. It starts at 02:00 pm which invites all the citizens in traditional clothes and men are supposed to partake in Pandanus war, a fighting ceremony on a stage of 5*5 meters square.

Before the start of Perang Pandan, there will be a ritual for the surrounding villages to seek for salvation and then a ritual to drink palm wine. Then the attractive Pandan war starts. The happy fight will last three hours or more and everyone would be happy to take part in it.

Best time to go: The festival happens in June and if you go to Bali during that time, you can witness the rare festival in its purity and authenticity.