Passage To Adulthood: The “Metatah” Ceremony
Metatah is an important ceremony in Balinese Hindu tradition. It is a passage to adulthood in which a Pedanda (holy priest) smoothes six upper teeth using a special tool. This traditional ceremony is held as a responsibility of the parents to their kids to ease the “Sad Ripu”, or six evils inside one human being. The six evils are: lust, greed, wrath, pride, jealousy, and intoxication.
Usually, this important ritual is held when a Balinese boy or girl reaches puberty or before they get married or on the day of one’s cremation. Balinese believe that this Metatah ceremony will make a person more attractive both spiritually and physically. After the tooth filing ceremony, a teenager is then considered to be a mature adult.
Have you attended this ceremony before?
