For Balinese couple having a child is essential and should be done as soon as possible since the child will take all parents’ socio-religious responsibilities when he / she gets married. Most Balinese couple who have been married for more than a year without having any child will begin to be anxious and if three years have been passed without any sign of pregnancy, the couple will usually opt to request a child from deities which reside in certain temples.

One of the temples in which the unfortunate couples usually request for a child is Aer Jeruk Temple at Sukawati Gianyar since there is a shrine for Men Brayut (the deity of fertility) in this temple. To ask for a child the couple brings certain offerings to the temple and ask a child from the deities who resides in that temple. In some cases the couple also promise to offer additional offering such as suckling pig, new traditional umbrella, new cloth for the shrines, etc if their wish is fulfilled.

Most of Balinese believe that the child who is bestowed by the deities is special child who has unique characteristic (melik) such as get seriously ill or passed away at young age, but the survivor will continue to live with special talent or in some cases sixth sense. When you get some happiness, you can not escape from the misery.

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