Beauty OF BALI - For Bali, security is a crucial facet of life particularly the security of religious ceremony, to guarantee the security of the religious ceremony, a conventional security pressure known as pecalang. The term “pecalang” comes from the term “celang” which means “vigilant”. They're easily identified by their towels, their trademark uniform is, black and whitened checkered waistcloths, transporting keris daggers with black or checkered headdress.



Every village in Bali has its own pecalang, and the act of this traditional security pressure is controlled through the village regulation (awig-awig). This rapid spread of pecalang is greatly affected with a law passed by the regional government of bali in 2002 that formally legitimized the pecalang. The law stated that the safety and order in the area of the desa pakraman (village)  is carried out by pecalang. Pecalang performs responsibilities of safeguarding the part of the desa pakraman relevant or depending on adapt (traditional law) and religion, and Pecalang are selected and relieved of the responsibilities through the desa pakraman (village) based on a village forum.

Their main duty in ensuring the security of a religious ceremony are vary such as controlling the traffic at ceremonies, guarding the cockfighting held as part of ceremonies, guarding the ogoh-ogoh parade on the pangrupukan day (a day before Nyepi, Balinese New Year) and ensuring the silence on the day of Nyepi by patrolling the streets to make sure that everyone, Hindu or not, keeps their lights turned off and does not venture out into the streets.

Using the passing of time, the job of pecalang is elevated daily. The new duties assign to pecalang nowadays are conducting identity card inspection, protecting a meeting for example conference, musical performance, opening of the new establishment, etc. In tourism area for example Kuta and Legian they might offer ‘protection’ for bar and nightclub proprietors for financial subsidies. In Nusa Dua, pecalang receive financing from hotels in return for similar protection.

These new responsibilities will obscure the positioning of pecalang like a protector of Balinese ceremony, culture and identity. The pecalang are produced through the village depending on traditional customary law for the advantage of the entire village community. They ought to work exclusively the advantage of society and community in socio-religious event not for advantage of other institutions in return for profit

Beauty of BALI