Part 2

On I Gusti Ngurah Rai’s life Gianyar (state East of Denpasar) became a special place for him. It is not just because Gianyar was his first place to learn about military drill but this was also a place where he met his true love. Desak Putu Kari, a dancer, was the one who had stolen Rai’s heart at the first sight. She is an orphan from Gianyar. Gusti Ngurah Rai asked for the hand of her when she was at the age of thirteen. One day Rai appeared suddenly at 11 pm in her room and ran her away. When Kari’s family looked for her Rai asked her to go to the barracks while he talked about his willing to get married with Desak Putu Kari. But based on Kari’s demand, they got married after the cremation ceremony (ngaben) of Kari’s parents.

I Gusti Ngurah Rai. www.baliprov.go.id
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In Bali the honeymoon usually precedes the wedding; the average boy in love with a girl makes his marriage arrangements directly with her, and outside his father, perhaps, and a few friends from he needs help, he keeps his intention secret until the day, previously agreed upon between the boy and the girl, when he will steal her. Shy couples simply run away together to the house of a friend, as a rule in another village, where they spent honeymoon in hiding.

flickr.com/photos/made_diaz/

However, the Balinese love spectacular kidnappings. The girl arranges for her clothes to be taken secretly to their future hide out, and on the appointed day she is captured by somewhere on the road, in the fields, or in the river by the kidnapping party, led by her suitor. She is expected to kick and bite her abductors in sham of self-defense, and although there may be witnesses, no one would dream of interfering, unless they are the relatives of the girl, in which case they are supposed to put up a great fight
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