Makemit: Spending the Night in the Temple
Today, 3/21/08, the grand annual ceremony Bhatara Turun Kabeh (gods descent all together) is be held in the biggest temple in Bali, Besakih. Hundreds of thousands pilgrims pay homage to this temple during the eleven-day period of the Bhatara Turun Kabeh. During this period, the flow of pilgrims will continuously stream to the temple 24/7, even at night there will be many pilgrims coming, the nighttime pilgrims usually stay in the temple all night long, doing the mekemit activity.
Makemit is an activity of staying in the temple all night long. The word “makemit” is derived from the word “kemit” means “to guard”. In the bygone days, makemit was truly an activity of guarding the temple from burglars or protecting the offering from marauding cats or dogs during the night. However, nowadays the makemit activity is spending the night in the temple with various activities.
The activities that are used to kill the time by the pakemit (people who do the makemit activity) during the makemit range from reciting the ancient hymns to have a little chit chat with friend, from contemplating silently to watching the traditional art performance in the middle courtyard.
Most of the pakemits are teenagers, they come to the temple in the evening and leave in the morning. Even though most of the pakemit are male but the number of female pakemit is increasing year by year. There are also a battalion of priest and priestess and the committee of the ceremony that also makemit in the temple to accompany the deities of the temple and watch over their juniors.
Bookmark this at
- Gods Descend All Together
- Lempuyang Luhur Temple
- Types of Balinese Temples
- Pilgrimage
- On the way to Pasar Agung Temple
- A Unique Imlek Celebration
- A Serene Buddhist Monastery in North Bali
- Balinese Temple and Identity
- The Sacred Giri Putri Cave
- The Sacred and Unique Bunut Bolong Tree
- Pemangku: Temple Priest
- Office Temple and Business Shrine
- Through The Eyes of Researcher: Monotheism in Balinese Point of View
- Temple Etiquette in Bali
- Grup Gedebong Goyang Stormed Sanur Village Festival
- Divine Rage versus Heaven and Hell
- Balinese Temple Network
- The Throne of God
- More on Meduwe Karang Temple
- Pura Goa Lawah, Bat Cave Temple
- The Great Pulaki Temple
- Balinese Family Temple
- More on Balinese Temple
- Tawur Kesanga: Payment to the Demon
- Odalan: Temple Anniversary
- Spiritually Unclean
- Island of Millions Shrines
- Pura Taman Ayun (Taman Ayun Temple)
- A Never-Ending Quest for Holy Water
- The Disappearance of Environmental Conscious Architecture in Balinese Temple
- Taman Ayun Temple Mengwi - Events of the Day
- Tajen Pura Hyang Api (Cockfighting of Hyang Api Temple)
- Ider-ider
- Padmasana
- Museum Bali, the Historical Period
- Bali Police name 33 suspects for stealing sacred effigies
- Pura Pengukar Ukaran and Goa Garba
- Balinese Ceremonial Umbrellas - Tedung
- Pura Pancering Jagat
- Obituary: Marc Jurt
- Ida Ratu Ayu Subandar (Ratu Ayu Mas Subandar)
- Pura Ulun Danu Batur, Songan
- Bamboo in Bali
- Meru
- Subak
- Candi Bentar
- Udeng
- Sakenan Temple, Nusa Lembongan
- Mpu Aji Temple, Nusa Lembongan
- Bale Banjar
- Guidelines for the Culturally Sensitive Guest
- New face for a familiar place...Puri Saraswati Bungalows
- Nusa Lembongan
- Bali's mountain lakes region
Loading ...