Wedding Obsession

Let’s hope it rains.

The small village of Ungasan came together in full for the wedding of Wendy and Puti, everything is ready, the atmosphere smells of incense and flowers. The roosters sing, the atmosphere is solemn when the guru starts with the ceremony silence falls. Siwa is the supreme God in Bali. He is in Himself all the gods and goddesses, all the natural forces. Siwa is hermaphrodite (wandu) because She is driven by both male and female energy; He represents the perfect unity of the universe.

Balinese boys and girls must become one entity by the sacred union of marriage, to imitate Siwa.

The sky clouds over and the first drops begin to wet the offerings brought by the guests. The drops turn into a downpour.

Getting married as soon as possible is the first big step to fulfill your duty in front of God, ancestors, parents and community, but having a son is the only way to complete the duty. Only a boy is in position to get heritage from his parents, live in their familial compound and care for them.

Yet having a boy is the ultimate goal of marriage and it should happen quickly. Sterility is a big taboo in Bali.

Let’s hope it rains.

The prayers have been answered – the certainty that everything will be in bloom again afterwards.

Ungasan, Bali, Indonesia – 2010

Canon 40D, 85mm