Balinese Rituals, In Class Excercise

Peter Caraviello Andrew Noonan Andrew Fish David Johnstone Rochelle Dugan Balinese Tooth Filing A traditional Balinese tradition for practicing Hindus is the process of having one’s teeth filed flat. When a young boy reaches puberty or a young woman begins menstruating, the ceremony is commonly performed. This ritual falls under one of the five categories of Hindu rituals known as ManusaYyadnya. Teeth are filed in an attempt to control evil human characteristics such as greed, intoxication, passion, and confusion. If a family cannot afford the ceremony, the tradition is generally performed upon one’s death. It is commonly believed that a Balinese individual will not be accepted into heaven if their teeth are sharp and un-filed.