Denpasar mass tooth-filing ceremony draws 157 participants
A mass Balinese Hindu tooth-filing ceremony in Denpasar drew 157 participants, including two Dutch nationals, as part of a wider collective religious programme.
By Mukmin John
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 2 min read
Denpasar — The Denpasar chapter of the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia held a mass matatah, or tooth-filing, ceremony at Pura Agung Lokanatha on Saturday, 3 October 2026. The ceremony had 157 participants, including two Dutch nationals, according to Bali Post.
Why it matters: The event shows that a collective Hindu religious programme in Denpasar included 157 tooth-filing participants, among them two Dutch nationals.
Matatah is a Hindu Balinese rite. The event was part of a wider mass religious programme organised by the Denpasar chapter, which also included menek kelih for 107 participants and mawinten Saraswati for 35 participants, Bali Post reported.
The ceremony was attended by Denpasar Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara and Bali regional representative of the Regional Representative Council I.B. Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra, who took part in the tooth-filing ritual, according to the report.
Why the ceremony was held
Organisers described the wider programme as a way to help Hindu families carry out manusa yadnya ceremonies collectively. A pre-event report by NusaBali said the programme was also intended to assist migrants and transmigrants who were not members of a particular traditional village in Bali or Denpasar.
The event was announced for Pura Lokanatha on 3 October and opened to Hindu residents in Denpasar and surrounding areas, NusaBali reported.
Sources
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