Mejejaitan and Metanding - The Basic Skill of Balinese Women to Make Offering

As we know Bali is the best tourist destination in the world which offers interesting culture and unique Balinese daily life. Tradition or culture can’t spread from Balinese people daily life like dance, subak irrigation system and many more. The majority of Balinese people are Hindu, because of that, they must make the offering. The process to make offering was called by Mejejaitan and Metanding.

 

Metanding is an activity to arrange a variety of offering material and make it becomes integrity of the Banten (offerings). While mejejahitan is part of metanding, which sew the Busung (coconut leaf) assembled with various flowers and leaves. Busung or coconut leaf usually cut according to the size which will be made, after sew with a semat (small sticks from bamboo and be a hook). Mejejahitan usually conducted by women and men will be involved also in picking flowers, climbing coconut, looking leaf, or a variety of equipment on preparation stage.

For the Balinese women, making a string of beauty (majejahitan and metanding) is the "main subject" in her life. Men will assist to prepare the ingredients. Every day is required to make the canang or tangkih for offering morning or afternoon. Canang is the blend of various elements of beauty which is created by the various types and colors of flowers, leaf, incense, and many more. They are assembled, sewn, ditanding or arranged into a unity which we call cymbals. Canang word is mean offerings for the God. Beside canang, Balinese women also make other offering which used for religious activities. 

Usually metanding (arrange offerings) conducted on the table or tikeh (mats). If they have a bale (special buildings for matanding) they make it there. Busung or coconut leaf is cut (dituas) and sewn with high accuracy and various forms of the curve and square. The Balinese people introduced the dimensions and shape on this period. The leaf is sewn into a kind of buffer for flowers strung on it. Equipped with various additional customary completeness or ordinances family or village concerned.