This is a photo series documenting Sanghyang Dedari, a sacred trance dance from Geriana Kauh Village, Karangasem, Bali. Performed by prepubescent girls chosen as spirit vessels, this ritual is held annually during the early rice ripening stage.
Sanghyang Dedari functions as a ‘village cleansing’ ceremony, believed to protect crops and ward off disaster. Accompanied by gending (sacred chants) sung by villagers, the dancers enter a trance, becoming mediums for benevolent spirits.
This captures the spiritual intensity and cultural significance of a tradition where dance, community, and nature are deeply intertwined.
