DirectRooms – Celebrate Pukul Sapu in Bali in September

The Indonesian villages of Morella and Marmala celebrate with the ritual of Pukul Sapu, which means ‘beating brooms’. The men from the two villages beat each other across their backs with broomsticks; any wounds are then treated with coconut "Mamala oil", which is believed to have supernatural powers.

Stripped to the waist, and performed simultaneously in the two villages, the men take turns in hitting each other with the homemade rattan brushwood switches as they parade around the streets. The oil is rubbed on the participants before the ceremony starts and is supposed to heal even broken bones within two or three days without leaving a mark. This is much prized by visitors and people regularly try to acquire some of the special oil.

The ceremony is a very popular event and many VIPs, government officials and local administrators come to see the spectacle. Once the men’s beating ritual is complete the women of the village, elegantly dressed, perform a traditional dance for visitors, armed with spears.

Ambon has some of the best cheap Bali hotel accommodation on the islands and there are even several star-rated hotels from which to choose. Travelling between the Indonesian islands is easy on the local Pelni boats and the island of Ambon itself has a very good road network, with regular bus services between the villages.

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