Usaba Dodol Ceremony: Karangasem, Bali

It is said that there is a ceremony almost every day of the year on the island Bali. Some are temple ceremonies, others rituals and rites of passage. One of the ceremonies is Usaba Dodol, the annual ceremony that is a ritual to welcome Tilem Kesanga (the 10th moonless night). The event is held at the Pura Dalem temple of the dead in Duda village in accord with the Balinese calendar as Tri Vivi Suryani writes.

‘Usaba Dodol’ Ceremony Features Giant Sticky Rice Cakes

Dozens of young and old men from Duda village, a remote township in the valley of Mount Agung in Karangasem, East Bali, some 100 kilometers east of Denpasar, busied themselves preparing a batch of 150-kilogram sweet, sticky, brown rice cakes, known locally as dodol, or jaja uli.

It was a cold morning and the wind was blowing forcefully as many villagers rushed to the nearby banjar (community hall) to join in the annual activities. It took 25 people to carry the final products, a set of 150-kilogram cakes, which took between three to four days to make.

The cakes were primarily made as part of a special offering to the Balinese gods and ancestors at an annual ceremony called Usaba Dalem, a ritual to welcome Tilem Kesanga (the 10th moonless night). The event is held at the Pura Dalem temple of the dead in Duda village in accord with the Balinese calendar.

The cooking process is quite complicated. First, the rice is cleaned and dried. Palm sugar, grated coconut and coconut milk are added to enhance the overall taste of the concoction. It becomes difficult to stir the sticky rice after this, so it is then boiled over a fire. When finished, the cakes are wrapped in either palm or banana leaves.

I Wayan Geria, a resident, said the cakes are usually made by families who had promised to make an offering to Batara Durga. The cakes are a symbol of the families’ gratitude after such events as a good harvest or the recovery of a family member from illness.

“Local villagers would be asked to help cook the cakes and in return we would get pieces of the final product,” Geria said.

Those who helped make the cakes are said to be freed from harm. “The cakes can be kept for up to six months. They are as delicious as fresh ones.”

The final offering this year contained giant, sticky rice cakes, a myriad of sweets, fresh fruits, meats, suckling pigs, chickens, duck meats and colorful flowers.

The tradition has been adhered to for generations. Ni Made Lia shared her experience saying that the ritual has both religious and social functions.

“This is seen as an effort to praise the gods who have been generous in giving us health and prosperity.”

The making of rice cakes is a communal activity and everyone in the village helps those around them to realize their personal promise. “It strengthens the relationship among us,” Lia said.

The Usaba Dalem ritual began with the hunting of special, spotless banana trunks, which symbolize Ida Betara Durga, the goddess of the dead.

The ritual starts at 7 a.m. and concludes at around 6 p.m. The banana trunks are purified by a High Hindu Priest and later planted in soil. During the ceremony, temple visitors present their offerings.

Despite the strong superstitions held by many Duda villagers, on one particular year the locals failed to recognize Usaba Dalem.

“Many people here suffered from strange illnesses and our village was stricken by natural calamity. I did not understand why,” Lia said.

Since then, villagers have held the ritual every year to maintain a natural balance and continued prosperity for all residents.

Tri Vivi Suryani