Pekak Jiwa is 75, and has lived in a village near Tandeng for at least 60 years. As pemangku, he officiated in countless temple anniversaries or odalan. The pemangku are temple priests who are recruited from the lower castes in Bali. They maintain temples with the help of villagers, but are generally regarded by the higher priests, or pedanda, not much more than cleaners and sweepers in the temples. However, the pemangku are more accessible, live near their temples and live ordinary lives.
Pekak has difficulty walking because of arthritis, so used his creaky old bicycle as a walker. It seems he never actually rode the bicycle but just pushes it along the way, also finding it useful to carry his scythe and an old Puma tennis racket cover (as a bag) on its handlebars. Notice his conical hat (red in the original photograph) denoting that he was a farmer, still working in his small rice field every day. He readily admitted to gambling (perhaps on cock fights?) and to an addiction to arak, Bali's dangerous moonshine, traditionally made from coconut and essentially equivalent to the well-known 'toddy'. Interestingly, arak is used as an offering in religious ceremonies, perhaps explaining the reason for his continuing to work as a a lay priest for so long. I can easily visualize Pekak surreptitiously drinking the arak offerings when he has the chance.
One of my objectives from setting up and leading my Bali photo expedition is to photograph people such as Pekak...authentic, photogenic and with life stories. Bali is replete with such opportunities, its smiling people more than willing to be photographed, and its culture incredibly welcoming.
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